Weak
by Emrold
Summary: During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi’s own family. AU
1. Problems

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction**

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

He hated it.

The moment he stepped into the school's main hall, the groupies just came flocking over, like he was giving away free diamonds. Glare, decline, exit. Rinse and repeat. Every single day.

Then there were the others. Professors, students, even janitors!

"Hiwatari-san! Can you help me with my homework?"

"No."

"Hiwatari-san! Please review the methods of Einstein's genius again…"

"No."

"Hiwatari-san! Wanna come to my party?"

"No."

"Hiwatari-san! Please perform your cleaning duties!"

"No."

Their pathetic whining echoed in his ears everywhere. Even the library wasn't as safe as it was before. He was trying to finish his essay on the importance of 'personal space at school' when…

"Satoshi-kuuun! Be my date, ne?"

That did it. She had no right to use his first name!

Satoshi Hiwatari threw his reference book to the floor and exploded. "What in the name of you-know-who is WRONG with you! Couldn't you just fucking leave me ALONE!" His teeth rattled. His glasses slipped from the top of his nose to the ground beneath him. He didn't care. He didn't need them anyway.

The whole library halted to a complete standstill. No-one dared to even blink. The wind stopped blowing through the windows. The ceiling fan ceased to function. For a whole five minutes, nothing – absolutely NOTHING - moved in that huge space known as the library. Until suddenly the girl sitting at the edge of Satoshi's table toppled over without any logical reason.

The frequency of hearing the school's most mysterious bishounen sputter a swearword was exceedingly rare. Satoshi was known for his reserved, brooding personality. He never actually switches into rampage mode at school.

Alright. It's decided. He needed a break.

And he needed it NOW.

_.o.o._

"A vacation?" His father repeated, looking up from his contract papers. In one hand, he held a cup of black coffee, while in the other, a fountain pen.

Satoshi was leaning against the doorframe, wearing a plain white shirt and jeans. His hair was left unruly, strands of blue drooping over his blue eyes. His glasses were absent, giving him a more boyish look.

"Why would you need a vacation for? Your studies are more important."

"I cannot concentrate anymore, father."

The older man sitting behind the oak desk placed his cup back down onto its saucer. He signed a few papers expertly while Satoshi waited. His father must not be rushed in his work, he'll just snap.

"You should be able to focus. You are, after all, a police commander."

Satoshi flinched mentally at that. "I'm sorry if I have disappointed you, father. But I need this break." He said quietly, his face grim. Something snapped. A pen, he guessed. The sharp, crisp sound scared him.

His substitute father had snapped the pen he was holding in two. "Satoshi. Come here." Satoshi straightened and approached his father's desk, holding out his hand. He closed his eyes calmly, awaiting his punishment.

A second later, a sharp shard of the pen embedded itself into the center of his palm, and he winced. Not because of the pain, not because of the blood dripping off his hand… but because of the maniacal laughter his 'father' was spewing.

Satoshi exited the room and closed the door behind him silently.

_.o.o._

A soft music played throughout the aircraft as passengers shuffled into their allocated seats. Satoshi browsed through the various magazines presented before him, not even bothering to read the text. But, as fate has it, he accidentally stumbled across a page that said – in big, bold block letters at the top – 'Kewl Stylez 4 Ur Flavaz'.

He dropped the 'illiterate' magazine to the floor and flattened it even more with his foot. "Fools." He whispered under his breath, his bandaged hand curling into a fist. The gesture triggered a searing pain to lance along his arm, and he took a deep breath to tone it down.

Today was the day hell devoured him.

First, he had problems with the customs regarding his Russian Blue cat. Apparently, Kvar (that's the name of the cat) had stolen a little girl's candy while in quarantine, and had spat it out into the face of a custom officer.

Secondly, his small suitcase was stolen by a male transvestite who thought it was his make-up bag.

Third, his flight was delayed, and Kvar got cranky. He had bitten Satoshi's pinkie, giving the boy ANOTHER bandage to deal with.

And lastly, this crapped magazine had succeeded in completely ruining his day… if not again.

In other words, Satoshi felt like shit.

That's why he wasn't expecting someone to sit beside him.

"Hey, man!" A blond-haired teenager around his age flopped onto the empty seat beside him, grinning like an idiot. Satoshi glared stiffly. The newcomer had pea green eyes that shone with a mischievous glint. The police commander felt like crawling into a wormhole.

"I'm Keiji. Keiji Yureki." The boy, Keiji, peeked downwards to Satoshi's foot space. He clicked his tongue. "That, my friend, is property abuse." The blue-haired teenager beside him continued to glare, his gaze not once faltering. Satoshi moved his feet in a way that soon, a near-deafening 'riiip' was heard. Keiji's eyes widened in shock.

"Dude, you're gonna have to pay for that."

Satoshi raised an eyebrow. "Oh, do I?" He flicked the magazine forwards with his foot, sending the book sliding under the seat in front of him and into an old man's foot space. The man was sleeping with his legs on the seat, so he didn't notice.

Keiji stared at Satoshi, as if worshipping him. "Even I didn't think of that!" He breathed, saluting the police commander. Satoshi ignored him and looked out of his seat window. He found that the plane was already moving along the runway, preparing for take-off.

Keiji tapped on his shoulder.

"Dude, You haven't told me your na-"

"I would like it if you do not disturb me for the rest of this flight." Satoshi cut in smoothly as the plane hobbled. The front nose of the plane rose into the air, then its body, then lastly its tail. Satoshi felt the distinct urge to puke. How he hated plane rides.

But in order to reach the small cabin his father owned in a ski resort in Hokkaido, he needed to get on a plane, unless he preferred to walk through the mountain paths, which he had absolutely NO intentions of doing.

"Fine, man, be that way." Keiji rolled his eyes, pouting like a child.

"Humph." Satoshi whispered to himself, glancing at the boy beside him. Keiji snorted.

A while later, the pilot announced that all the facilities were now available for use. Satoshi thanked everyone he could think of and withdrew his laptop from his backpack in the luggage compartment above. He had to finish that essay now so that he could relax later.

He was quite a fast typist with both of his hands, but now one of them is bandaged, he had to take a leaner approach. Satoshi decided to use his injured right hand for pressing the 'Backspace', 'Enter' and 'Shift' buttons, while his left hand does the rest.

Satoshi propped the laptop screen up, and pressed the power button.

The usual plinky opening tune (that Satoshi hated) blared out of the laptop, attracting Keiji's attention. "Whoah! Nice piece of gadget you got there! May I have a look?"

Satoshi mumbled something about having to cling on to his sanity for the next forty minutes or so, before turning to his side. It's a good thing he booked a first-class ticket, he could have all the space he wanted.

Keiji huffed and stuck his tongue out at him. "You're strange, you know that?" The aqua-eyed boy beside him didn't reply. A rapid tapping sound came from Satoshi's side. It showed that he had started his work, and he does NOT wish to be interrupted.

Unfortunately, Keiji was too stubborn to grasp the message. "Where are you going, anyway? I'm going to this posh ski resort so that I could catch a date with a babe and…"

His rambling went on and on. Satoshi had to borrow the headphones the aircraft provided to block out all the noise and concentrate on his work. He was nearing the end of his essay when someone poked him in the ribs.

And that someone, just as Satoshi predicted, was Keiji.

"Are you a new type of geek? You know, good looks, cool personality, but anti-social and a bit boring to talk to? Or maybe you're just weird… whoah! Are you an alien! Where's your spaceship? Ooooh… it must be somewhere in Hokkaido, huh? And that laptop! It must be some kind of communication thing where you contact your alien mama ship, right!"

Satoshi was not entirely sure whether Keiji was doing it on purpose, or he's just a moronic idiot with no on-going life whatsoever, but when the blond-haired boy started making funny faces in front of the laptop screen he knew he's had enough.

He elbowed Keiji, HARD, in the stomach. The unfortunate boy yelped. "Okay, okay, I'm sorry…" He groaned and whined about his beautiful stomach now being deformed.

Satoshi conjured a fleeting image of him burning Keiji on a stake in his mind. It calmed down his nerves… momentarily. He finished the rest of his work and switched off the laptop, just in time for the pilot to announce their arrival in Hokkaido.

At last, a quiet, stress-free month in the snowy peaks of Hokkaido!

_.o.o._


	2. Finally

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction**

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Whoah, I'm sorry for the one reviewer I had… you see, I'm going to make Dark, Daisuke, Krad and Satoshi separate in this fic. I'm mainly focusing on SatSuke (Satoshi**x**Daisuke), mmmkay? Sorry if I've put you off ;D_

**NOTE**: This story (the original, crappy draft) is also posted on -h t t p : b o y - t o y s . t o t a l l y c h i b i . c o m, under the title of Transparency. (Due to change to the title above, though. Someday.)

If you have trouble finding it, search for my penname, Cream. All of my DNAngel stories are posted under that username. Be aware that Boy-Toys is a site consisting only of shounen-ai fanfiction!

Disclaimer: I have Vol. 2, 4, and 6 of the manga, but I don't own the whole hoolabaloo.

.o.o.

The plane ride ended with a bumpy landing, and by that time Satoshi's face was already multi-coloured. Keiji was fast asleep beside him, drool dripping from the corners of his mouth. His blond mane was tousled, and Satoshi looked at him in disgust.

The seventeen-year-old police commander wasted no time in wrapping Keiji's unholy face with the blanket he previously had sprawled all over himself.

Sounds of seatbelts unbuckling made the blue-haired teenager undo his own, although with great difficulty since instead of joining the two metal locks together he had tied the whole thing up in a double knot (well, he just had to find something to ravage after building up such a temper with Keiji, right?). After he's finished wrestling with his seatbelt, he grabbed his backpack and slipped past Keiji's sleeping form carefully to avoid any of his drool wetting his clothes.

Realizing that someone had possibly stolen his suitcase from the luggage compartment overhead, Satoshi felt slightly panicked. Peering to the upper left exit of the plane he saw a stewardess with a pile of baggage beside her.

Satoshi bristled. He thought they had no right to touch the baggage of passengers without permission! Satoshi marched to the lady, in demand of an explanation, but decided against it. After all, it would be no use if he started an argument, the authority is ALWAYS right.

"Thank you for flying with us! Have a pleasant day!" The stewardess chirped cheerily, waving to each passenger that retrieved their bags from her. Her skirt was deliberately cut short, Satoshi noticed.

When it was his turn, she greeted him with a fake grin. "Thank you for flying with us! Have a -"

"Just shut up and hand me my suitcase." Satoshi said grudgingly, frowning. The woman blinked, but gave Satoshi his bag all the same. The teenager moved out of the way and checked that the bag was really his, then proceeded out of the aircraft and into the main building of the airport.

._o.o._

"A Russian Blue cat? Let me see…" The quarantine officer left his post at the Enquiry Desk and disappeared into the back door of the room. Satoshi tapped his fingers impatiently on the granite-topped counter, checking his watch. His ride should be arriving very, VERY soon…

"Is this the little guy you're looking for?" The officer had returned, carrying a shaking box with him. The box was labelled 'FRAGILE' (at which Satoshi raised an eyebrow at) and 'URGENT'. There were holes punched to either sides of the box, providing something inside with oxygen.

It must be Kvar. Nothing could move as much as he does.

"Yeah, that's him, thanks." Satoshi was about to grab the box and leave when something jumped out of it. It leaped onto the boy's head and nestled in his blue hair.

What the…!

"Kvar!"

"Yo, Wiz!"

Satoshi - temporarily forgetting the _thing _on his head - spun around immediately, only to clash into twin pools of dark lilac. Something in his chest twitched. Doesn't he look familiar…?

His face changed.

Of course. It's Dark.

The kaitou barely noticed him until Wiz squeaked. Dark started an apology, but stopped midway. He smirked.

"Well, well… who do we have here? It's the creepy boy!" Dark guffawed as Satoshi's face twisted into a menacing scowl. "Shut up, you horny kleptomaniac."

Dark 'oooh'ed. "Language, language."

The quarantine officer cleared his throat. "I don't think that your cat has turned into a rabbit in a few hours, sir. I'll go dig some more." He went through the door at the back again, leaving Satoshi and Dark TOGETHER in the room.

Satoshi smirked victoriously. "It's my chance to laugh now, Dark. …You have the right to remain silent! Whatever you say may or may not be used against you in the court of law-" He tugged his handcuffs from the waistband of his trousers, preparing himself for an arrest.

"What are you doing, _commander_?" Dark laughed.

"What does it look it like I'm doing? I'm arresting you."

"Heh, I'd like to see you try, pretty-boy."

Dark smirked again, more devilishly this time.

It didn't mean any good for the steaming Satoshi.

…Because as soon as the commander lurched forward, someone intercepted his path.

"What's going on here?" A blond-haired guy (do I sense a pattern here?) separated Satoshi and Dark, standing between them, arms spread out like a walking plank.

"Oh! Hey, K!" Dark waved at him happily, grinning. 'K' narrowed his eyes at him. "What are you doing in this place?"

Dark grabbed Wiz by the scruff of the rabbit's neck and took him away from Satoshi's now messy mop of sky-coloured hair. "I'm fetchin' him." Dark pointed to the squeaking animal in his hand.

"You should've told us where you were going, Mousy. Dai-chan was worried about you."

Dark raised his eyebrows. "How about you, Krad-koi? Were _you_ worried about me?" He mustered up his cutest, most innocent-looking gaze.

Krad made no move to reply to that. "We better head back."

"Okay!"

Satoshi blocked the doorway ahead of them, 'cuff in hand. "Grrr!" He clenched his fist. "I'm not going to let-"

He was silenced when the nose of a revolver found its way to his mouth. "Pretty boys die young, as they say." It was Krad's revolver, to be precise. An 8-spin. Satoshi calmed himself down and carefully edged away from the entrance. He was helpless. One human against 8 bullets? Unless this is The Matrix, he would never survive.

"Thank you." Krad said, thought he didn't mean it. Dark gave one final wink to Satoshi and skipped out, tailing his silent, blond-haired companion. Satoshi re-equipped his handcuffs.

The teenager sighed as the quarantine officer appeared again with a pet carrier. Inside, was a sleeping Kvar. His blue-black fur shone in the light, his triangle ears ever-perking. Satoshi smiled slightly at the sight of his only friend, curled up in a small ball.

"I believe that this is your cat…?"

"Yes, it is."

"Okay then, please fill in this form. By the way… where's that rabbit from earlier?"

Satoshi's eyes darkened. "It just went back to the devil. No need to worry."

The officer was confused but shrugged to himself and allowed the matter to slip.

_.o.o._

The journey to the secluded Yuki Resort took more than three hours. During that time, Satoshi managed to do a few things in his father's limousine.

He fed Kvar until the cat can't even mew anymore.

He started and finished another essay on a subject. (trust me, what subject it was is of no interest to you)

He thought up of another way to catch Dark and scribbled his plan on a paper.

He finished a 600-page novel he found lying around.

He watched the snowflakes drift about lazily as he climbed higher into the mountain Yuki Resort was built on.

He slept.

He dreamt.

Man, was he bored.

After another two hours of dreary journeying, he was convinced that nothing could excite him more at that time than the wooden sign saying 'Welcome to the wonderful Yuki Resort'.

Kvar (who had by now digested most of the food in his bulging stomach) mewed. "It's beautiful, isn't it, Kvar?" Satoshi said, smiling ever so slightly under his blue bangs. Kvar mewed again and licked the commander's hand.

"Sir, we're here." The chauffeur announced in a deep voice, climbing out to help Satoshi with his luggage.

._o.o._

"Have a nice stay, sir!" The receptionist smiled gaily at Satoshi, who nodded coldly. He loathed women. All of them. Even the maids at his father's house were a nuisance, he always thought. He preferred to be alone. Not surprisingly.

Satoshi allowed his thoughts to drift as he fumbled for the correct key to fit into the key slot of the door leading to the cabin grounds. An old woman passing by smiled at him, and he nodded in reply. Hey, he wasn't _that_ rude.

The door swung open with a creak, unveiling a picturesque landscape covered with snow and dotted with pine trees. Satoshi didn't acknowledge the scenery at all; he just wanted to be in his cabin as quickly as possible. Kvar lay sprawled on his shoulder, the bottom half of his body resting in the commander's hood.

Satoshi swam past the stream of cabins built of hard wood. Few people noticed him, as they were either too busy talking or admiring the scenery from their back porches while drinking hot chocolate.

The gate marking the start of the Hiwatari residence caught his eye. Satoshi swung a right and followed the narrow path, venturing away from the cabin grounds. His father's cabin was a secluded one, providing him with enough privacy for him to subside to his own thoughts... and maybe smile a little bit more.

Kvar jumped from his shoulder and sprinted all the way to the front door. He scratched the door longingly, mewing. Satoshi laughed a little and opened the door. Kvar jumped inside with a delighted 'nyaa'.

The cat made himself comfortable on the couch, stretching. Satoshi dropped his suitcases and did the same, feeling all of his tiredness ebbing away as he did some minor exercises. He suffered from cramps, but chose to ignore them.

The commander limped his way into the frosty kitchen, flipping on the light switch. The room brightened, revealing a small dining table, a cooker, a cupboard and a fridge. There was a warm rug on the floor, but it was not warm enough to keep the rid of the frostiness of the place. Satoshi found a tiny radiator and switched it on.

He fixed himself a cup of black coffee before going back into the living room. Kvar was now sniffing at a few logs of fire, then sharpening his claws at them with his ears flattened. Satoshi shooed him away and threw the logs into the fireplace, starting a fire with a dusty lighter lying nearby. He shoved some coal into the fireplace to speed up the spread of the flames, and basked in the heat, finishing his cup of coffee.

After a few minutes, he reluctantly left the warmth of the fireplace to inspect the bedrooms at the back. The cabin was larger than he thought, with a wooden flight of stairs leading to the attic and a sauna at the very end of the cabin. There were two bedrooms, one bigger than the other. The bathroom was a very luxurious one, just as he expected from father's level of taste.

The house was quite warm now, with the fire crackling in the living room. Kvar mewed from above, a sign that he was in the attic. Satoshi climbed the winding stairs, and found Kvar rolling on a shagpile carpet surrounded by a set of white leather couches. There was a computer at the back of the room, covered with plastic to prevent dust from covering it. There was a radiator instead of a fireplace in here, and Satoshi turned that on too.

He settled on the couch with Kvar, thought about a few days of peace and quiet, and dreamt about them in his sleep.

_.o.o._


	3. Innocent Murder

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction**

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

Usual disclaimers apply.

_There's a nasty surprise at the end, Lady Samurai ;D This is a Sat**x**Dai fic like NO OTHER. Muahahahah! … I think._

**NOTE**: This story is also posted on -h t t p : b o y - t o y s . t o t a l l y c h i b i . c o m

_My username there is Cream. Be aware, though, that site is focused on ONLY shounen-ai fanfictions!_

Disclaimer: I have Vol. 2, 4, and 6 of the manga, but I don't own the whole hoolabaloo.

.o.o.

Saturday mornings were never as relaxing as Satoshi thought it would be.

He slumped onto the white couch upstairs, drinking another mug of black coffee as Kvar played with his yarn ball on the floor. The police commander watched as his pet kicked the ball into the air with his hind legs, caught it with his front legs, passed it back to his hind legs and kicked it again.

This pattern went on for some time until Satoshi decided that he should go and arrange his clothes into the wardrobe in the big bedroom, of which he had claimed his own. After all, he is going to stay here for a month, and being the perfectionist he is, untidiness is unacceptable.

So, he dragged himself down the stairs and started on his task. Boxers and undies (cough, cough) in the bottom right drawer, formal clothes in the closet, casual wear in the top left drawer and various miscellanies in the others.

It took him 57 minutes and 39 seconds. Satoshi put his suitcase away and slid onto his double bed.

The bandage on his hand was torn up quite badly, he supposed, staring at the partial image of his bruised gash. He had been operating around the cabin with his wounded hand for lack of better judgement, and had just realized that it was pulsing painfully, emitting vibes of spearhead-like tingles all over his palm.

He grunted towards the handicap, took no heed of the special medical attention it needed, and flopped back into the confines of the feather-stuffed pillows.

His quiet time alone was interrupted when Kvar trotted into the room, mewing. "What is it, Kvar?" Satoshi asked with false irritation, getting out of bed and picking Kvar up. The cat purred as the police officer scratched him behind the ears.

Satoshi raised an inquisitive eyebrow as Kvar jumped off his lap and raced to the front door. He followed at a more dogged pace, and nodded in understanding when he saw his cat standing by the door, his leash (the cat's leash, not Satoshi's) caught underneath his paw.

"You wanna go for a walk, huh?" Satoshi grabbed his dark blue coat, turned off all the appliances in the huge cabin and donned his light blue scarf, matching with his blue hair. He wore sleek, stylish goggles – to protect his eyes from the chilling breeze - and tied the restraining rope (?) around Kvar body, clipping the end of the leash into place before rising to his feet once again.

He went out, locked the door behind him and off they went.

_.o.o._

The mountains climbed high into the sky beside them as Satoshi and Kvar made their way up the small slope they found. The day was quite windy, and that probably explained the lack of skiers frolicking around. Kvar jogged speedily despite the thick snow, and had his paw stuck in ice for several times before Satoshi got fed-up and carried him in his arms.

The cat snarled angrily, but a small nudge on the forehead silenced him almost immediately. It was a technique Satoshi learned quite a few years ago. Kvar's weak spot is between in his eyes, and the commander uses this to his advantage.

"Hush. You're giving me a headache." He warned, pointing a finger at the animal in his arms. Kvar reached out to bite it, and Satoshi quickly pulled away. "Baka neko." He teased, dropping Kvar quickly – though gently – onto the snow-covered ground.

They had ventured into a small, bare forest, the leafless trees looming far beyond their heads, reaching up to the sky. Satoshi looked around, inhaling the cold, minty scent of the air around him. Kvar mingled with a few stray twigs, before trotting out of sight.

Of course, Satoshi, being the one holding to one end of the leash, was forced to follow.

They came into a vast clearing, void of any form of life. No tree dared to grow in the cramped space, and this led to a perfect spherical area, empty - save for the huge monolith in the middle.

Kvar sniffed around and licked the snow, for once taking his time to get entranced by all the whiteness. Satoshi leaned back, gingerly discarded any protruding snowflake stuck in the cut on his palm, and watched as his cat scurried about again, clawing here and there. The blue-eyed teenager tried to see if he could just take a little nap under this huge tree he was standing in front of…

Until Kvar mewed again.

Satoshi, alarmed, realized that in all his drowsiness he had released Kvar's leash. The cat was currently inspecting something behind the monolith. Satoshi crept over with a distinct feeling of resignation. Kvar could always work him to the limits.

Speaking of the little blighter…

The cat looked up with its huge, round eyes, and mewed questioningly. (don't ask me how he could make it sound 'questioning'). Satoshi peeked over the sides of the huge rock out of curiosity, and blinked. _Thrice_.

A boy around his age was resting against the rock, lingering in an alerted sleep. He had a wet mass of scarlet hair, his bangs plastered to his forehead like molluscs to a rock. His head was tilted slightly to the side in an adorable fashion. He was wearing a white shirt paired with a pair of black slacks, a small, shiny copper ankh hanging from a silver chain slithering around his neck. His lips where a faint purple, his face mimicking the colour of his hair almost perfectly.

He's ill, Satoshi diagnosed. Really ill. He should be with all of the useless, single-layered clothing he had on.

Kvar rubbed himself along the boy's thigh, purring contentedly. Satoshi took off his coat and draped it all over the boy's body. He could feel him stir fully awake. Ruby eyes raised sedately into a pair of aquamarines. Their gaze clashed.

"Doushite…?" The weaker teenager asked faintly, looking a bit deflated.

"Nani?" Satoshi asked back worriedly. He saved him and he asked him why!

"Doushite…?" The stranger repeated, tugging his eyes away from pools of blue, down to the coat that covered his thin clothing. He stripped it off, and shivered. Satoshi's eyebrows dug into his eye sockets.

"What's wrong with you?" He prodded patiently, retrieving the coat from Kvar's claws and covering the boy again, who then bit his lip to suppress a whimper.

"They… they…" A sigh, "I am but a withering petal, engulfed by my torturous misery…" He frowned, depressed, and brought his knees close to his chest.

"Some extensive vocabulary you have there."

"I read it from a book."

"Oh."

A few minutes passed in silence. Kvar was now nestled in the boy's lap, licking his body free of dirt and stray snowflakes.

"Wussisname?" The red-eyes teenager's words were muffled by a noseblock that was threatening to worsen. Satoshi eyed him under half-lidded eyes. His drowsiness was catching up with him again.

"Wha…?" He yawned behind his palm. "Who?"

The boy beside him shifted so that Kvar now could move on his lap freely. He sniffed and exhaled, feeling his noseblock ebbing away… for the time being. "What's his name?" He stroked Kvar's bobbing head. The cat leaned in to his touch.

"Kvar."

The boy looked up again, a hint of surprise in his crimson eyes. "Sounds Russian."

"I know. Ummm… why are you here, of all places?" Satoshi asked, as if he knew the boy all his life. He didn't.

"Grieving purposes."

"I see."

Silence hung over them like a dripping wet blanket.

The boy sneezed. Satoshi stared at his shivering body for a long time, until…

"…That's it. I'm bringing you home." He shooed Kvar off the small-bodied teenager and scooped the sickly one into his arms.

The boy coughed. "…Lemme down."

"No." Satoshi answered firmly, glaring straight ahead as Kvar tailed behind him obediently, leash pierced into his jagged row of sharp teeth.

The smaller boy sighed and gave up. He had no more extra strength in him to argue.

His strengths now are all used to concentrate on snuggling into Satoshi's incredibly warm chest.

_.o.o._

Satoshi watched as the lasagne pack cooked in the microwave, spinning slowly on the glass platform with a monotonous buzz. Somewhere at the back of the cabin the distant rustling of blankets and a groan could be heard.

The police commander's eyes flicked over to the red wall clock above him, considered the time (it was 7:30 pm; yes, the boy was _that_ heavy), and remembered thinking that the vivid colour of the clock matched the hair colour of a certain guest he had lying around in _his_ bed. He banged his head on the cooker and earned a head-splitting pain in return.

A loud 'beep' vibrated throughout the kitchen, courtesy of the friendly microwave. It gave him something to do, and at least helped to intrude his thoughts on a certain redhead's beautiful fire red eyes... Satoshi banged his head on the cooker again. God, he'll be needing aspirins soon.

Smoke penetrated the air as the microwave's door swayed open with a hiss. Somehow, the 'friendly microwave' now seemed to have held the opening gates to hell. Satoshi squashed his thoughts flat and withdrew the piping hot plate smeared with a once rectangular piece of bubbling lasagne. He frowned.

"It makes you wonder _why_ exactly haven't they built a take-away restaurant in ski resorts. It would certainly make life a little bit easier." He mumbled in disgust, shoving the misshaped contents in the plate into Kvar's food bowl. The cat hissed in protest, but settled in when he discovered that the flavour was minced beef and anchovies.

Satoshi sighed and sat on the rug-covered floor, ruffling his hair out of sheer frustration. He stayed there for about 3 minutes or so, contemplating on recent events and scowling at the ceiling.

"Konban wa…" A shy voice called. The sickly boy slipped in through the doorway with a weak, yet sheepish grin. The subject of Satoshi's thoughts petted Kvar lovingly, cooing incomprehensible words to the animal. Satoshi could swear that the thing gurgled.

The boy he found nearly 10 hours earlier was wearing the change of clothes he had provided on the bedside table before. It was a delicate green t-shirt that no longer fitted him, but he had brought it along just in case he needed an extra floor mat in the bathroom. He had also lent the boy his pair of faded jeans, which also had shrunk in size. Now they looked like they were custom-made for the teenager with fiery red hair.

"I think you should stay in bed." Satoshi voiced his acidic opinion ruthlessly, word by word, ensuring that the boy understood every single syllable before moving to another piece of the Japanese vocabulary. He stood up and tried to overpower the person in front of him, but failed miserably because they were quite at the same height. The boy was wearing the sort of sandal-thingies with soles that were two-inches thick. They must've been his father's. Damn that old man.

(Backtracking to the last phrase Satoshi spoke)

But there were really two sides to his request; one of them genuinely worried about the health of the young stranger and the other pleading for him to _stay away_ from his thoughts. But that's pretty useless because even when the boy was in bed he thought a lot about him, and who knows what will happen if the boy was up and about like he is now. His brain might go 'bang'.

"Gomen nasai, ano…"

"Hiwatari."

"Ne, Hiwatari-sama, it's just that I heard a few disturbing noises-"

Satoshi stopped him there, as he was, to a certain extent, a bit disturbed himself hearing the use of '-sama' after his stepfamily name.

"That would have been the microwave. Or my stomach." He coloured without himself knowing. The boy in front of him chuckled pleasantly. "E-Either way, I'd prefer it if you call me Hiwatari-san. I… don't really like formalities."

Liar.

The boy blinked. "Oh, is that so? I apologize." He bowed. That's when Satoshi noticed that he never actually knew the boy's name. Not that it mattered anyw-

"What's your name?" He blurted before his nerve cells even get the chance to react to his brain signals. The speed at which his question shot out would have outdistanced a striking rattlesnake and given lighting a nasty shock.

The boy blinked again. It's a special gift of his that was very endearing in its own way.

"Me? Umm… my name is… Daisuke Niwa." He answered hesitantly, as if unsure whether he should be telling or not. His behaviour reflected off a child's: a boy caught between telling his mother about him being bullied at school and in a way, indirectly handing over his body to be tortured by the bullies (behind the backs of the authorities, of course), or keeping a low key about everything and receiving the same cruel treatment that (probably) wouldn't escalate into something more horrifying. Daisuke appeared as if he had chosen to go along the risky path.

"Ah." Satoshi conceded intelligently, fiddling with the dirty plate in his hand as his stomach roared. Daisuke chortled again. "Ummm… I'm a great help around the kitchen."

Satoshi looked Daisuke over, considering this petite form standing in front of him. "I guess that if you're well enough to walk around, then you're well enough to do anything." He shrugged and threw the plate into the sink behind him, without even looking back. "Knock yourself out. And thanks."

Daisuke lurched forward and caught the plate before it managed to break into microscopic pieces. Then he placed it safely into the sink, turning the tap on and smacking in the drain plug. The water pooled around the plate and another three or so mugs with coffee stains in them. Daisuke tipped in a bit of washing liquid and dropped the washing cloth into the froth forming in the sink, letting it soak as Satoshi rummaged for stuff in the fridge.

His father had ordered for the cabin to be stocked full with supplies, just in case he gets trapped inside during a snowstorm that rages for a week or so. The fridge was _overflowing_ with various assortments of grub.

"Feel free to use anything from the fridge. I don't eat much anyway."

Daisuke nodded hesitantly. "Okay… then we'll need this… this… that… and that… and a little bit of that… just throw one of these in for good measure… and… oh! There's ham!" He stared at the packet of thin ham slices in his hand. Behind him, Satoshi was buried under a pile of vegetables, meat, poultry, cheese, and other things you _don't_ wanna know about.

Kvar was happily chewing on a piece of salmon, a reward from his superior 'catch-prey-in-midair-for-premier-quality-food-testing' ability.

"Uh… Niwa-san… are you sure we are going to be able to eat all this by ourselves…?" Satoshi mused, wonder hinted in his voice as his head popped out of the pile of food. He smelt like a slaughterhouse, only with a tint of cheese and broccoli. Kvar was _very_ interested.

Daisuke laughed nervously. "Umm… I can consume huge amounts of edibles at one time."

Satoshi looked doubtful, but agreed anyway. He jumped out of the pile and closed the water tap, leaving to change clothes. Daisuke asked if he could do so too, since Kvar had slapped the leftovers of his salmon onto his shirt and jeans. Satoshi ordered him to go on first, but warned him - with a blush - not to open any other drawers except the top left drawer. Daisuke only smiled.

_.o.o._

One hour and twenty-one minutes later dinner was steaming on the table. Satoshi nodded appreciatively to Daisuke, who blushed. "It was easy with you helping." Satoshi and Kvar regarded him with a blank look, which looked almost pitiful to Daisuke's meter.

As far as 'helping' would go for Satoshi… well, he burnt the ham slices to a crumbly crisp, didn't he?

"You're too modest." The aforementioned police commander muttered, taking a small bite out of his roast chicken. Daisuke blushed again.

"And that wasn't a compliment." The commander pointed out obviously. Daisuke sighed dejectedly. "Hai, Hiwatari-san."

Satoshi smiled under his bangs and went back to eating.

_.o.o._

That night, there was a thunderstorm around the region of the Yuki resort. Although there was no rain, the thunderbolts were a bit painful on the ears. The hotel management a.k.a. the ever-giddy receptionist warned them that if they ever need help, press '123' on the phone.

Right. And if the telephone cables are cut off?

This Satoshi had dully pointed out, and it apparently took the receptionist by surprise. She said, quite hastily, that she will discuss this with the managers.

"By then, I would be dead." Satoshi seethed calmly, before slamming the phone against its crook on the wall. Even if the cables remain safe, they couldn't call anyone now that the receiver was cracked in two.

Daisuke, having confronted with Satoshi's flaring temper, quickly pretended as if he wasn't exactly listening and stared into the dancing fire burning in the fireplace. Kvar was purring in his sleep in his lap, occasionally shifting as if he was drifting through a land of clouds and all the girls had pink bobtails.

Some people have all the luck, Satoshi thought bitterly.

A flash of lightning terrified a badly-shaken-up Daisuke and he nearly cried. Satoshi stared at him in sympathy. "Go to sleep. It's past your bedtime."

Daisuke regained his composure and blinked, ENDEARINGLY, again. "Hiwatari-san, I'm sixteen…" He rubbed his eyed tiredly, a sure sign that he was really bored and he wanted to ease into slumber right there and then, but decided to act tough and show Satoshi that he's not as soft and bendable as he thinks he is.

Satoshi, despite being pleasantly shocked upon hearing that the small boy was actually a big _sixteen_ (note the italics, people), snorted. "Very well, then. Suit yourself." He yawned as Daisuke waved him goodnight. But actually, Satoshi stuck around for a few minutes.

He was waiting for something.

"Well, Hiwatari-san, I'll be retiring now. Oyasumi." Daisuke laid Kvar delicately in his pet basket, and bowed. He smiled and left to the smaller of the bedrooms, jumping at the crackle of another bolt of thunder. Satoshi smirked.

That was the event he was waiting for.

_.o.o._

Outside the cabin, the thunderstorm had miraculously stopped, giving way to a velvety black night sky and a throng of stars, small and big.

Satoshi, who was currently enjoying a dream in which he caught Dark without a struggle and earned a shiny gold medal, was awakened by a sharp tug on his pyjamas. Daisuke hovered over him, eyes filled with fright and shedding tears.

Satoshi almost, _almost_ screamed. "What the…! Niwa-san?" He bolted upright and gathered the sobbing Daisuke into his arms. He didn't know exactly _why_ he did it; he just did.

"I'm scared… they… they… they came back…" Daisuke whispered hoarsely, clinging to the police officer whom which he had acquainted with for barely a day. Satoshi hugged him awkwardly, murmuring soft, tender words in the smaller boy's ears. Daisuke's sobs retreated to sniffles, before halting completely, leaving the two in a silence neither of them wanted to break.

"Now, now, there… umm… I'm here… so… don't cry anymore, okay?" Satoshi smiled faintly, and patted Daisuke's hair like a brother to his sibling. The red-haired boy nodded childishly in reply.

They sat there in peace, quite enjoying the warmth of each other's embrace, when Satoshi's curiosity pricked like a hedgehog's spine. "Niwa-san, if you don't mind me asking… who were you talking about just now…?" Daisuke's body stiffened.

"I…"

"Yes…?" Satoshi urged expectantly.

"I… killed them. I killed the Harada twins."

_.o.o._


	4. Death's Dancer

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction**

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Whoa, like, last chapter had the most review count ever for this story. Just a little bit of reply to one of the reviews…_

**_I know Satoshi is being SO OOC right now – but he's gonna change in a few chapters. I know I'm spoiling the fic, but… there's gonna be one peculiar twist soon, that will completely throw off this… new personality of Satoshi's._**

_**But I did insist in the summary that this is going to be very OOC and AU. There are a lot of other fics out there with worst depictions of Satoshi! So I was guessing that it wouldn't be all too bad. I did intend to throw a little bit of comedy into this fic, because it's going to be a bit darker towards the end.**_

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

"…Are you feeling better now?" Satoshi inquired the next morning, handing a mug of hot chocolate to a dazed Daisuke. The younger boy nodded timidly, taking a sip of his drink. His eyes were unfocused.

Satoshi ineptly patted the younger shounen's trembling hand. After all, he was a little bit grateful at the boy for offering to change the layer of bandages on his palm, and nursing his wound. His hand had improved so much after that much needed medical help that it was of much use now than it ever was in the past.

Anyway, the night before, after a few minutes of reflective silence, Satoshi had finally allowed Daisuke to sleep beside him, just so that he wouldn't get nightmares again. Remarkably enough, the commander found the scarlet-haired boy sitting against the headboard the next morning, his head thrown back slightly as if he was thinking very deeply about something, his eyes half-covered by his eyelids. He looked very glum, yet so nonchalant at the same time. His eyes had flickered with uncertainty one time or another, and sometimes he'd flick a secret glance towards Satoshi's direction. Then, he would sigh tiredly and bury his head in his knees.

Satoshi heated a batch of ready-made pancakes in the devilish microwave, cursing when he forgot to remove the plastic packaging. Sparks flew.

He's quite sure that he looked like a back country hick right about now.

The usual 'beep' rang out, but Satoshi waited for the pancakes to cool down before taking them out. The microwave hissed at him again, and the door rebounded, clamping shut with a loud 'bang'.

Satoshi ignored the possibly angered piece of inanimate object and seated himself beside Daisuke, careful to not distract the boy as he poked his pancake lazily. Kvar was also silent at his post inside the pet basket, no doubt sleeping, being the glutton that he is.

"Hiwatari-san…"

Satoshi's ears perked up at the mention of his name. The piece of pancake stuck on his fork slipped off. Daisuke blushed. "Sorry to interrupt you while you're eati-"

"Just speak up, I can't hear you." Satoshi said flatly, piercing the pancake again and stuffing it into his mouth.

Daisuke sweatdropped helplessly and cleared his throat. "A-About yesterday…"

"…Oh. What of it?"

The sixteen-year-old groaned in frustration, gave up and buried his face into his pancakes. Satoshi quirked an eyebrow. "Somethin' wrong?"

"N-no… but how can you be so… so…" Daisuke shook his pancake-smelling face and tried to find a word that'd best describe Satoshi, but failed.

"Insensitive?" Satoshi finished for him dispassionately, downing his black coffee and pouring himself another cup. Daisuke bit his lip apologetically. "Sorry."

"Don't be, I hear it every day." The commander handed a tissue to the sixteen-year-old boy beside him.

"So… you're not shocked by the fact that I've murdered two innocent civilians?"

Satoshi paused in mid-gulp, setting off a chain of choking coughs and several pats on the back by Daisuke. He had quite forgotten about that small fact. "Oh, right. You butchered a few girls." Being a police commander, he was used to hearing about a crime such as murder, but hearing it coming out of the mouth of the murderer himself was quite… eh… _unique_.

"Well… um… at least you have the decency to be frank about it." Satoshi commented dryly, wiping his mouth with a napkin. Daisuke chuckled uneasily as the commander sighed. "You know that I'm a police commander, right?"

Daisuke nodded solemnly. "I saw the handcuffs and the notebook thingie officers usually carry around. I even found your badge." Satoshi's eyes widened. He had hid his badge in the bottom right drawer of his wardrobe! How did-

Seeing the irked expression on his companion's face, Daisuke flushed terribly. "I was… umm… looking for a pair of shorts… and I… uhh… forgot your instructions… on which drawers I must not open and the ones I could…" Beads of sweatdrops rolled like marbles down the back of his head as Satoshi shoved numerous pieces of pancakes to calm his red hot face down.

"N-never mind. Now, do you mind telling me about the incident?"

"Well, I was trying to find a pair of shorts because the one I was wearing has a wet squid stuck in the pocket (I must have slipped it into my pocket in all the hurry) and so I opened all the drawers and found your pink boxe-" Satoshi slapped a hand on Daisuke's mouth as his eye twitched.

"I meant the murders."

Daisuke's face fell. "Oh. Sorry." Satoshi sighed and told him to go on.

"Well… it all started last summer. My friends and I planned a trip to this resort for the winter to have some fun after the final exams. We were relieved to get a break from all the stress, but discovered that one of our friends, Keiji Yureki, had to come at a later date because he had to take care of some kind of business. We went on the first plane, the five of us - me, Risa, Riku-"

"And I presume that they are the victims?" Satoshi whipped out his notebook from somewhere and wrote this little bit of information down while Daisuke nodded fervently. "…Please continue, and skip the names, they are quite irrelevant." Satoshi gasped.

Wait, Keiji Yureki!

Where has he heard that name before…?

"Ano ne… what's the matter? You look horrified…" Daisuke cocked his head to the side, prodding Satoshi's foot. The special commander waved his hands dismissively. "I'm fine. Please, do continue."

Daisuke was uncertain, but shrugged anyway. "Ummm… when we arrived here, the girls went to their own cabins while the guys when to theirs. There are three cabins in all: Keiji and me in one, Riku and Risa in the other, and Krad and Dark in the last."

Satoshi didn't hear the part with Krad and Dark because Kvar had taken that particular time to feast on his master's pancakes. The commander was distracted, of course. "Kvar!" He scolded, picking Kvar by his neck and dropping him onto the wooden floor. The cat hissed, his ears flattened, before indignantly leaving for the kitchen to his filled food bowl.

"You were saying?" Satoshi nodded to Daisuke, who sweatdropped. "Keiji arrived just the day before yesterday, in the middle of the night. It was strange, because his flight should've arrived in the morning." Satoshi took note of this, too.

"Nevertheless, he suddenly asked me to come with him to the Harada cabin. He said that he had some unfinished business with the twins. I wanted to have some sleep, but he wouldn't let me. So I had to follow him.

"The night was chilly and dark, and I stumbled on many things on the way there. Once, I thought I tripped on a rooted can – you know, the kind that was use to mark borders and all that. But I'm not sure. After a few minutes, we came to a small patch of ground that had something in the middle… but I couldn't see what it was because it was so dark.

"Keiji crouched and I heard something click. But I don't know what it was. Then he finally headed for the Harada cabin, and entered without knocking. I held back, but he pulled me in. There was another click, this time coming from Keiji. I thought it must be his handphone or something, and moved on.

"I saw Risa and Riku watching a couple of small fireworks held behind their cabin – the direction of which we came from. They beckoned me closer… and then…" Daisuke stopped and sobbed, tears falling with a 'plop-plop' on his pancakes. Satoshi felt so awkward, he started to sweat. He patted Daisuke's head gently, and seeing that it eased the smaller youngster, he moved to rub the boy's back.

"And then… something rang and two arrows whizzed from behind me. They struck their targets… and th-there was blood everywhere… on the table… the bedsheets… the rug… the floor…" Satoshi instinctively hugged Daisuke and rocked him slowly back and forth, as the boy whimpered.

"I turned around… but Keiji was gone. He must've ran off to tell everyone. I was scared, Hiwatari-san! I was petrified! I ran out and sprinted to the hills. I ran all night, until I came to that monolith, and kinda… collapsed. The next thing I saw… was your face…" Daisuke sniffed and rubbed his tears away. Satoshi looked at the scribbles in his notebook and frowned deeply.

"Niwa-kun."

"H-Hai?"

"Bring me to that cabin."

Daisuke's eyes widened.

_.o.o._

The soft 'smunch' of trodden snow carried itself upwards into the high valleys as Satoshi and Daisuke trekked their way through the mountains to the other side of the resort. The mountainous road was nearly lifeless today (well, it always is, but bear with me), bearing no tourists and their snapping cameras.

"A-Are you sure a-about this? The police might be there and… and… Dar-" Daisuke tried to obstruct Satoshi's path, but he was pushed away instantly. "I don't care if there's a whole army camp there. I suspect first-degree felony carried out by suspect A10534 – Keiji Yureki, and I'm not stopping until I get _proof_ that he didn't do it." The blue-headed boy retorted impatiently, kicking a ball of snow out of his way.

His bandaged hand, as per instructions of the ever-so-caring Daisuke, was enveloped in layer upon layers of wool gloves to prevent it from turning blue from the cold (Satoshi hadn't really thought about it, but his wound DID look a bit bruised before Daisuke started to take care of him). And it had been jammed, rather forcefully, into his pocket at the cabin, by none other than Daisuke himself.

"Hiwatari-san, it's okay! I'm the one who is guilty, so please, we don't have to go there again! I... I... I'll give myself up to the police!" Daisuke insisted childishly, throwing his arms out sideways exaggeratingly.

Satoshi's left eyebrow shot up like a rocket. "Good. Then let's go to the cabin. You can get arrested there." Daisuke groaned.

"But… but…"

"You're going to keep running away from the authorities?"

"Certainly not! I'm going to give myself up!"

"Yeah. Right. Whatever. Go you."

"No, seriously, I've been giving it some heavy thinking… and decided that I'll just get it done and over with."

"One could get a life sentence for murdering one person. You, Niwa-kun, murdered two. Although that is undecided for now."

Daisuke thought hard. The mixed expressions on his face almost gave way to a tide of pity to wash over Satoshi, who eventually cringed at the sight.

"Then I guess my afterlife's booked full."

"If you even get one. You'd probably end up in hell first thing after you die." Satoshi pointed out dully, glimpsing a small road sign up ahead that read 'Welcome to Yuki Resort: Eastern Valleys'.

"Too late to back out now, we're here." Satoshi clambered over some rocks and jumped down from a ledge, catching Daisuke soon after with one arm as the other… well, the last time I checked it was stuck in his coat pocket, wasn't it?

Daisuke felt faint all of a sudden. Swarms of police officers were streaming in and out of the Harada cabin, some of them with bags of evidence and whatnot.

"Lemme handle this. Just say 'yes' and pretend that you agree with everything I say, okay?" Satoshi forewarned as Daisuke nodded distractedly. He was currently scouting for his three male friends. They weren't present.

Meanwhile, Satoshi had already approached the nearest officer. The buff man glared at him. "Go away, kids should not play here. This is a crime scene." Satoshi calmly withdrew his badge (he had a hard time untangling it from piles of boxers back at the cabin), and flashed it to the policeman. He jumped.

"Commander, sir! This cadet apologizes for not noticing, sir!" He said quickly, standing erect on his tip-toes. Satoshi pocketed his badge again and took out his notebook. "I may have some leads in this case. Let me through."

"Yessir! But… uh… the kid…" He bowed to Daisuke, who flushed a terrible shade of red, and bowed back. Satoshi was already looking into the house. He rolled his eyes at the sight of the idiots (of which we're speaking of Daisuke and the policeman) beside him having a bowing contest.

"He's a valuable witness. I want him with me at all times." Satoshi insisted.

The commander stared at the clueless, fearful face of Daisuke. He was so… beautiful…

Predictably, Satoshi banged his head on the wooden walls of the cabin… again.

"Daijoubu desu ka, Hiwatari-kun?" Daisuke's soft voice comforted him, and he sighed. "Daijoubu."

Daisuke braced himself as they walked into the cabin, after being given gloves and other articles of protection so that they wouldn't damage any uncovered evidence. There were markings on the floor, showing where the bodies were found and in what position they were in.

"Oh. They removed the bodies." Daisuke exhaled loudly in relief. He thought he was going to see the corpses again.

Satoshi was guided by another cadet as he toured the small cabin. There wasn't much in it; a small bathroom, a bunk bed, a bedside table, a phone, a cramped kitchen and an outside porch. Compared to his cabin, this was just like a life-size dolls' house... with a couple of tragedies thrown in for good measure.

They stopped beside a window, where, the cadet stammered, the bodies were found by a friend of the twins, a dark-haired twenty one-year-old who is 'a bit on the playboy side'. Daisuke chuckled. "That's Dark for ya!"

The cadet thought that he was complimenting his black uniform, which incidentally clashed with his blond manes. "Yeah, I know." He replied unnecessarily. Daisuke giggled again. Satoshi ignored the both of them and looked out of the window, and saw a sort of can thing in the distance. "Daisuke-kun."

Daisuke nearly face-faulted at the mention of his first name. 'Maybe this is one of his tricks,' he thought, rather grimly. In actual fact, Satoshi had accidentally let the name slip off his tongue. He had intended to bang his head on a wall again, but stopped himself just in time.

"Y-Yes, sir?" Daisuke stuttered, deciding not to call Satoshi's name at all costs.

"Go and stand at the place where Yureki and you stopped at before you came here."

Daisuke blinked, stunned. "I can't really remember, it was dark…"

"Try."

"Okay…" Daisuke ran out and spun in different directions before running northwest from the cabin. After a while he stopped and waved. Satoshi was peering out of the window while all this was going on, and smirked at the end results.

The window faced the spot of ground Daisuke where was standing head-on.

._o.o._

Satoshi picked up the tattered pieces of a small rocket-shaped bomb from the brown earth, examining it closely from one tip to the other. There were traces of gunpowder in the area, and he noted this into his notebook efficiently. "This had been the place where the fireworks were set off." He walked around as Daisuke watched on worriedly.

The commander and the cadet had dashed out of the cabin when Satoshi assessed that the window overlooked the site. The hotel manager said that it was a place for assembled barbeque sets, which explains the constant dry ground.

"You said that there was a click." Satoshi turned to Daisuke, who 'eep'ed. "Ummm, yes, there was. And a short, musical sound after, like something had been switched on. I didn't remember it till now."

"I see."

Satoshi walked around again, and suddenly tripped over a wire that came out of the blue. He shook bunches of snow from his hair and sat on his knees, inspecting the piece of cord. Daisuke wiped off some snowflakes off his eyebrows and jacket and legs. Satoshi blushed at the close contact.

'GOD! WHY AM I SO FIDGETY!' He thought, mentally banging his head against his squishy brain.

He tugged at the piece of strangled wire, following it dutifully until it suddenly disappeared in the depths of white snow. Satoshi gave it a mighty pull, and a small piece of machinery exploded out of the ground to his side, bouncing like an innocent beachball.

The cadet back away, horrified, and screamed diminutive monosyllables. Satoshi eyed him with The Look(tm) and he covered his uncontrollable pitch.

Daisuke was the only one who dared to move. But once he did, Satoshi motioned frantically for him to stop.

But, alas, it was still hopeless. Someone back in the Harada cabin had maybe tripped violently over a piece of red wire, and somehow the force had travelled across the space and yanked a plug from a socket behind the box beside Satoshi.

_Click! Whirrrrr_…

It had locked into place.

From the rectangular box, a beautiful piano version of the Fur Elise jingled out, almost like a calm-before-the-storm theme, and then stopped. The box came to life. Various scores of lights flickered, before giving way to an LCD clock that was timed to 10 minutes.

"Baka!" Satoshi hissed at the fear-stricken red-haired boy behind him. The cadet, a bit far off, looked like he was praying to the Gods he just believed existed to ensure his safety. He said that he has adorable kids back in Tokyo, and he still hadn't bought his wife the pearl necklace she so wanted. Heart-breaking, I know.

"That's a new type of bomb that was recently developed all over the world by extreme pranksters!" Satoshi wheezed carefully, eyeing the 'I'm-not-as-harmless-as-you-think-I-am-but-I'll-accept-compliments-anyway' box to his left.

"It's called the Death's Dancer. Yeah, sure, it had 'Fur Elise' at the start, but after the allocated time is up, everything within a ten mile radius gets caught in a superblast. What's more, it picks up ground vibrations from someone running or walking around a mile's radius from itself and deducts twenty seconds from the time limit every time it receives a vibe."

The cadet had gathered enough courage and said enough prayers to speak up. "This ain't no toy, kid, this is the real deal. It's no carousel ride. Commander, do you want to inform the others not to approach?"

"Yes, do that. And be careful not to fidget too much." If they weren't in such a hazardous situation, Satoshi would've doubled over in laughter at the pale complexion of Daisuke's face. It was so much like his own, only a thin shade darker.

The cadet slowly took out a black walkie-talkie from his back pocket, and whispered something into it. There was a barrage of shouts and panicked cries, and Satoshi nodded at the man to give him the damned thing. The cadet made the unfortunate mistake of throwing it instead of passing it, and the machine whirred again, this time playing a gloomy, 'uh-oh' kind of tune, followed by a robotic cackle. 40 seconds was taken away, leaving the three victims with 8 minutes and 12 seconds to decide on something to get them out of there.

Satoshi glared heatedly at the cadet, who was nearly comatose, while Daisuke just whimpered. "It must've picked up two waves…" He stated morosely.

Satoshi held the walkie-talkie to his mouth and whispered into it harshly. "Listen to me, you insolent SOBs! Get the bomb squad here quickly or I'll personally strangle all of you in hell!"

There was a clatter at the other side and the voice of a police officer calling a bomb squad on his handphone.

Satoshi let the walkie-talkie lie on his lap as the machine ticked away happily. "This thing… it's not to be taken lightly… this Keiji guy must've been an expert. No mere prankster could duplicate the Death's Dancer so accurately. He must've been involved with the Yakuza." Satoshi looked at Daisuke, who was trying to remain as calm as possible, but no such luck came ringing.

"Keiji-kun was a bit of a delinquent back in the school days, but I never thought that he'd go this far…" Daisuke's lip quivered.

Then suddenly, reality came fizzing down on Satoshi like a pair of medicine tablets.

The plane ride.

The boy sitting beside him.

Keiji Yureki.

"Niwa-kun, can you describe the physical description of Yureki-san?" He demanded, bending his head slowly backwards so that he could look at Daisuke, who was still in his stooping position.

"Ummmm… he had short blond hair, and green eyes. Medium-build, nineteen-years-old. Why do you ask?"

Satoshi cursed to himself. If only he had known that annoying bastard's a murderer, he would have given him more that an elbow ram to the gut!

"He was sitting beside me on the plane… Damn, how could I have missed his real intentions…?" Satoshi whispered the last part to himself, blaming his injured hand for distracting his usually sharp observatory senses. When he thought about it… he did saw Keiji depositing quite a large bag into the hand luggage compartment in the plane. Did he intend to blow up the plane, too…?

"Keiji did say that he met an 'attractive, intriguing guy' on the airplane… maybe it was you?" Daisuke inclined his head to the side in a fashion of uber-cuteness.

Satoshi coloured. You could almost see the puffs of steam coming from his face. 'Me, attractive?' He mused, shuddering. "I'd rather think not." He said out loud. Daisuke knocked two of his fingers together in a gesture of uncertainty. "But you really are kind of… mysterious, and um… eye-catching……………" There was a long pause. The cadet behind them tried to block out the words as Daisuke flushed too. I dare say that his maroon-ish colour blended well with Satoshi's steaming, beetroot face.

'It's getting to a stage where this conversation exudes everyday normality…' The police commander pondered quietly.

The silence was protruded by a wail of sirens from afar. Men covered in protective black suits came rushing in from every direction. Two of them evacuated Daisuke, Satoshi and the cadet from the scene and held them at a distance. The others quickly snatched the bomb and threw it into a black stove-like thing, which looks like it could contain blows from the inside.

A maniacal laughter echoed in the valleys as the sounds of the final countdown from the bomb inside the stove was amplified. The noise must've been so loud to escape from the black barriers of the stove-like thing. (can't find a word for it, sorry)

"FIRE IN THE HOLE!" The bomb squad shouted, and they all leaped to safety. A massive blast was caged inside the stove (…) as the noise travelled across the snow-covered field to reach Daisuke, Satoshi and the cadet.

"That… was close!" Daisuke breathed as he peeped out between his fingers. Satoshi was already talking intently to the bomb squad, lecturing them about promptness and punctuality.

Daisuke waved the cadet a hearty goodbye as the blond-haired police officer rushed off to type up a resignation letter.

The red-haired boy thanked the gods for letting him live and went to join Satoshi in his long journey back to his huge cabin.

_.o.o._

"You failed, Keiji." A haughty voice murmured as dull golden eyes stared down on a mass of blond manes.

Keiji looked up to his employer. "I'm sorry, sir, but…"

"Silence! I have no need for amateurs like you! Get out of my sight!" An 8-spin revolver was loaded and fired.

Keiji's bloody body flopped onto the dusty floor as his pupils dilated reflexively.

"Rio Hikari-sama has given me this task… and I shall complete it myself." Krad hid his gun in his backpack and strode off to his cabin, as if nothing important happened in the cave he previously occupied.

_.o.o._

Oooh, I sense danger for Satoshi-kun. Do you?

If you don't know who Rio Hikari is, refer to volume 3 of the DNAngel manga, after Kosuke gave the ring to Dark. He mentioned this name when he was talking to Emiko on the balcony.

**I think I'll put 'Weak' on hiatus for a month to make way for my exams. Sorry!**

Enough time for you to figure out what's gonna happen to Satoshi and Daisuke next!


	5. Plans

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction**

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

Humming, Daisuke scrubbed the last of the dishes from their dinner with fervent enthusiasm, squirting bottles of washing liquid all over the sink and spreading soapsuds all over the kitchen. Kvar was expertly clinging to the small width of his shoulder, eyeing the fast moving hands with perking curiosity while clawing at Daisuke's red bandana.

"Hey, stop it, Kvar!" The boy giggled, dropping the cat onto the floor. He re-adjusted his bandana and continued working. "You know, I have a pet too. He's a rabbit, and I name him Wiz. He's so cute! I'll bring him with me if we get the chance to meet again sometime."

Satoshi floundered in to get his usual cup of black coffee, the fuzzy slippers Daisuke commanded him to wear shuffling against the floorboards. The police commander poured himself a cuppa and turned around to leave when…

"Ah, Hiwatari-san…" Daisuke called, turning the tap off and jumping down from the stool he had been standing on, "…I was wondering if I could go and make a phone call at the main building? You broke the telephone in this cabin, remember? And this call is kind of urgent." He ticked off his reasons with his finger, flicking soapsuds all over Satoshi's emotionless face.

The sapphire-eyed boy wiped his face on the kitchen towel, swallowed a small mouthful of black coffee, and nodded. He left without a word. Daisuke suggested that it was the coffee. Kvar mewed.

"That's strange, Kvar-chan. He must be on crunch time or something. He did say that he wanted to go over the details of the Harada murder more closely… ah, what am I worrying about? He'll be fine." Daisuke scratched his head and rummaged around for a piece of paper. He found one on the fridge, and wrote down a memo for himself.

Since the phones in the resort are limited to calls inside the hotel compounds only, each cabin has its own 'phone number', which is really just the referring number of the cabin. Daisuke wrote down the number of Dark's cabin because he's quite forgetful, and didn't want to spend all his time in front of the telephone trying to remember the cabin number.

The red-haired boy put on his coat and scarf, and patted Kvar lovingly on the head. "Kvar-chan, this might be the last time I see you, so please… take care of Hiwatari-san for me." With that, he left, locking the door behind him.

Satoshi emerged from his bedroom and gave Kvar's head a short stroke. He intended to leave his coffee cup in the sink so that Daisuke could wash them later, but was instead bedazzled at the smaller boy's absence in the kitchen. The police commander shrugged and dropped his dirty mug into the sink, deciding to change his bandage and watch a bit of TV before going to bed.

_.o.o._

Krad sneered as his target ploughed noisily through the thick snowstorm. His gun clapped against his hip silently, always ready for action. But no, he's not going to use it again today… yet. The man with eyes as bright as molten gold adjusted the hairpin holding his golden hair up in his white cap, and buried himself deeper into the woods, his white cloak and trousers blending in with his snow-drowned surroundings perfectly.

How long had he awaited this opportunity? Months? Years? The chance for him to finally capture the Hikari clan's most prized treasure: the heir to the clan himself. If he could reclaim the icy boy, Rio Hikari-sama could finally reign with superiority.

Krad eyed the sneezing Daisuke warily, thinking over his plans. The past few days, he had been secretly watching the two from afar. He knew that the natural attractiveness of naïve Daisuke has piqued the interest of the usually-unimpressed Satoshi. The first stage of his plan had worked magnificently; the part where he brings the sixteen-year-old adolescent to this isolated resort. The death of the twins was just a stepping stone. He's onto some bigger boulders.

However, the companionship of the famous kaitou, Dark, was a huge mishap. The lithe guy was brought along by Daisuke, who insisted, and his presence could distort his whole plan. Of course, the thief specializes in stealing the Hikari arts, but since he (Krad) didn't receive any direct orders from Rio Hikari-sama to capture the cunning phantom thief, he could not afford to make any daring moves to dispose of the self-acclaimed playboy.

Krad grinned maliciously as Daisuke neared his hiding place. If he could abduct the boy here, sooner or later a worried Satoshi would come out of his little residence.

Then, they can _all_ play his little 'game'.

_.o.o._

'Where was the main building again? I think it's to the east… hmmm… I'll just cut through here.' Daisuke back-stepped and walked into the bare forest, only to slam straight into a wall of white.

"What the-?" Suddenly, a cloth covered his mouth and the stench of chloroform filled his nostrils. He thrashed, his screams muffled by the thick cloth, but darkness soon conquered his vision.

The last thing he saw was a jubilant smirk above his face as he dropped to the ground, unconscious.

'H… help…

'Sa…to…shi…'

_.o.o._

Purple eyes snapped open, roused from sleep by an uncanny feeling from deep in the subconscious of their owner. A devious hand lowered to replace the cocoa-filled cup onto its saucer - previously suspended in mid-air - then reaching up to stroke a lively jumble of purple locks.

Dark slowly rubbed his half-drooping eyes, finished his dinner, and left a few bank notes on the table. He winked at a passing waitress and discarded himself out of the resort's restaurant, heading towards the dotted groups of trees that marked the start of the southern valleys, where the private cabins are situated.

Someone's got a hold of Daisuke. And this time, he needs help to get him back.

_.o.o._

Satoshi glared at his watch pensively, stomping across the living room and back with peaking irritation. Half past twelve. It's been two hours since Daisuke left, and the commander was getting all the more bitter after every elongated second. The flames in the fireplace sparkled, and the radiator grumbled lazily, taking no heed of the boy's flaring temper.

Kvar perched himself on the couch and monitored his master, amused at his peculiar behaviour. Satoshi stopped and spun around, grabbing his cat and bringing the beast close to his face. "You ignorant, good-for-nothing…! Where is he!" Then, remembering that animals could not talk, Satoshi released the creature disgustedly. Kvar growled and jumped back to his post on the couch, his expression defiant.

Satoshi sat down and tried to put himself back together. There's no use venting out his anger to a _cat_.

"Daisuke… where are you…?"

"If you really wanna know, Krad took him." A smooth, bored voice answered. Satoshi froze.

"Dark!" He stood up and pointed a finger, another hand flying to his handcuffs on the side table. Ah. An output port. Time to release thy wrath, Satoshi.

"Oui, c'est moi! Did you miss me?" Dark wiggled an eyebrow as he drank from Satoshi's cup. He spat out the horrid black coffee. "Eww! You _drink_ this! It tastes like crude oil! …Oh, wait, I've never tasted crude oil. Aha, ahaha, ahahahaha!" He laughed at his own remark as Satoshi sweatdropped.

(For you non-French speakers, Dark said, "Yes, it's me!")

"W-What are you doing in my cabin!" Satoshi inquired crossly, shaking the pair of handcuffs he inherited from his father. Dark blinked and looked around. He disappeared into the kitchen. Satoshi followed, handcuff by his side.

Inside the kitchen, Dark opened the fridge and his face brightened. "Goddamned? This place is _doubly_ _blessed_!" He took out a frozen pepperoni pizza and dumped it in the microwave. A vein popped in Satoshi's hair. He lunged for Dark's hands and trapped him between himself and the kitchen wall.

Dark, being the one that is more experienced at trickery by more than four hundred years, started to morph… into… (who else?) Daisuke! (A technique he learnt from Wiz) He made a pained expression and whimpered. Satoshi's grip loosened slightly as the commander's eyes widened in disbelief. 'What the…?'

"Satoshi-chaaan…" Dark-turned-Daisuke whispered seductively, looking straight into Satoshi's blue eyes. "I wuuvv yooouu…" (I love you :D)

Satoshi's horrified shriek was smothered as Dark-turned-Daisuke planted a passionate kiss on his open lips. The commander was completely unable to react (rationally anyway), and instead released his hold on the thief accidentally, spicing up the kiss with his own tongue.

Dark broke the kiss and slipped away, transforming back to his former self. "Such an impressive kisser…" He clicked his tongue, lifting Satoshi's chin upwards. He leaned in again…

_Ka-chak­_!

"…And such a venomous glare!" Dark sweatdropped as Satoshi gave him his more fearsome Look™ yet. The innocent jingling sound made by the chain of the handcuffs clamped on his hands sang out a scary background music.

"Dark…?"

"…Yes, Satoshi, darling?"

"…Let's talk."

_.o.o._

"…And your door has a pretty crappy lock, so that's how I got inside." Dark finished, shrugging a single shoulder. He played with the tablecloth idly, staring out to the sloping fields of virgin snow outside. The platter of pizza slices lay forgotten at the centre of the dining table.

"That still doesn't explain the fact that you transformed into Dai- I mean, Niwa, and fuckin' _kissed_ me!" Satoshi roared, taking out a tin of 'Whiscase' from the kitchen cabinet huffily.

"Well, hey, it's not _my_ fault that you lusted over a kid in my custody!"

At that blunt remark, Satoshi blushed profusely, his hands shuddering. "S-Still, couldn't you have chosen someone else to change into!"

Dark paused and thought. "I can do Risa and Riku."

"The Harada twins? Dark, I thought you had more dignity than to mock the dead. Moreover, they're _women_."

"So? You can be a cross-dresser too! Hell, I even almost kissed you!" (Okay, so that was quoted from volume seven. Sue me xD) Dark made an irked face, remembering that particular raid for the Moonlight Mask.

Satoshi looked away and spooned Kvar's lumpy cat food into the food bowl. Then he remembered a small fact.

He didn't lock the door the whole day today. He was careless, I know, but that's not the point I was trying to make.

"But I didn't lock the door since this morning, when I visited the Harada cabin." He told Dark, who raised both eyebrows. The thief placed his head on a pair of handcuffed hands and closed his eyes, sighing. "…So it's true."

"What's true?"

"That Daisuke's been kidnapped." Dark held up Daisuke's red bandana, of which he found at a patch of forest just east of Satoshi's cabin.

Satoshi didn't even realize the empty cat food container had slipped from his hands.

_.o.o._

Whoah, the atmosphere's getting a bit tense, don't you think? Just a bit. Hee.

Krad's getting homicidal again (nothing new), and Dark's a bit overly-open with his display of affections. Daisuke's kidnapped, and Satoshi is in a mixed state of shock and unrequited lust.

Will they be able to rescue Daisuke _in time_? (Big hint there!) Will this fic _ever_ get to see more romance between the two teenagers with opposite personalities? Who's Rio Hikari (-sama, with all due respect)? Will Dark and Satoshi join forces to reclaim their little Daisuke? And will the authoress stop promoting her next chapter in such a cheesy string of rhetorical questions? (sweatdrop here)

…You might never know :P


	6. Traumatized

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

**_WARNING: YAOI (RAPE) HINTS IN THIS CHAPTER. DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE UNDERAGED._**

_.o.o._

"Would you like something to eat, Niwa-kun? I have some sushi. Or maybe you want rice crackers…? I can heat up some white rice for you too, if that's what you like." Krad closed the fridge door, juggling a can of mushroom soup in one hand. He readied the soup, and brought a bowl to his bedroom upstairs.

"…But you know, being in such a cold environment is not very healthy for a fragile boy like you. What you need is a hot bowl of soup. This one's delicious. I bought it from the shop at the resort. It's good for curing colds, but haha, I guess you don't have a cold. So I guess it will just make a tasty breakfast." The white devil smiled at the naked boy crying under the bedsheets.

Daisuke groaned and sniffed. He was powerless. His body was sore, and his mouth was gagged tightly, so his jaws hurt.

"Yes, you need some water too, after all the _activity_ we did last night…"

_.o.o._

"Hey, Satoshi. Have you eaten breakfast yet?" Dark asked, entering the living room while slurping on a can of Coke he stole from the fridge. The commander ignored him and continued to scribble madly in his notebook. There has _got_ to be a way to find Krad's cabin!

"Oh well." Dark placed the plate of rice balls he carried on the living room table. He stood beside Satoshi and examined his notes, petting a sleeping Kvar on the head (who was nearby).

"Seeing that Krad's left his old cabin, we should try looking around in the forest Daisuke's kidnapped in for clues. Maybe Krad's left us a note or something."

"I've considered that, but any possible clues in the scene might have been swept away by the wind. Now, _could you please leave me alone_!" Satoshi shouted, returning to his scribbles. Dark backed off, both of his hands put up in a show of surrender.

"Whatever, man, suit yourself. I'm gonna watch some TV."

Satoshi glared at the Phantom Thief.

"_How can you be so insensitive in such matters! He's supposed to be under your jurisdiction, DAMMIT!_"

"Whoa, whoa, down boy. Y'see, I have no reason to worry, as long as you're here to look out for Dai-chan. You're enough to make up for both of us."

"Are you telling me that you're gonna slack off!"

"Of course not. Daisuke's like my little brother." Dark sighed. "Okay, okay, I'll go gather information. Sayonara, dictator." He teased, grabbing his jacket before running out of the cabin.

Satoshi gritted his teeth and grabbed his coat too. He stormed out, slamming the cabin door behind him.

One way or another, he's going to get Daisuke back!

_.o.o._

"You're very beautiful, Niwa-kun…" Krad whispered into Daisuke's ear, lying beside the small boy. He stroked his hair and smirked.

"Too beautiful… it's a shame that you have to go. But of course, we're gonna have some fun first. What do you say to that?" Daisuke screamed, but all that came out was muffled groans. He cried bitter tears, and furiously shook his head in detest.

Krad ignored his protests, running a finger down the boy's chest. "Now I know why Hikari-sama wants you eliminated from the young master's side… even I am falling for your charms." He chuckled. Daisuke tried to crawl away from the blond, but Krad held him back.

It was hopeless. There's no escape for him… unless… Daisuke studied the open window beside the bed carefully.

"Rio Hikari-sama wanted you to die a slow, painful death. Would you like that? …But don't worry, I'll only kill you after I achieved the young master's cooperation. He's required at his… home." Krad smiled and nipped at Daisuke's bare neck, distracting the younger boy. Daisuke gave out a strained moan.

"Of course, Rio Hikari-sama could have just called him back, and Satoshi's been ignoring our calls. I know that the phone at his cabin is damaged, but he didn't answer his cellphone either. He's grown so attached to you… that he forgot all about us." Krad licked the spot where he had nipped the red-haired boy. Daisuke shuddered.

"You seem to like this… Shall we go further?"

Daisuke slumped, powerless.

He was doomed.

_.o.o._

Satoshi kicked the snow around his feet.

Nothing!

No notes, no footprints, no drag marks, no _clues_!

Except for the red bandana Dark found, there are no other leads on Daisuke's kidnapping. Satoshi thumped his fist on a nearby tree. How could he have been so careless! He could have at least accompanied the boy back to his cabin!

Or better still… he could have allowed Daisuke to _stay_ with him at the cabin.

Well, there's no use in regretting the past, is there? For now, he'd have to look harder.

Satoshi gathered himself and continued to search for something that could help him find Daisuke.

_.o.o._

"A man with long blond hair and golden eyes named Krad? …I-I haven't seen a man as such, but I will ask my workmates. Please wait a moment." The receptionist grinned shyly, blushed, and disappeared into the staff's lounge behind her.

Dark crossed his arms behind his head. "Women are so easy to manipulate." He sneered.

After a few minutes, the receptionist returned.

"Well, my friend said that she saw a man like that four days ago."

"Oh, great!" Dark smiled handsomely at her.

"Can you tell me more…?" He pleaded.

"But… um… it's against our policies to reveal… customer information…"

"Please! He's my brother, and I miss him sooo much. He left the family cabin exactly four days ago and we're very distraught over his absence. Especially granny. Oh, granny was crying and begging and praying to God for his safe return. And mom! She had it worst! Krad was mommy's boy, y'know, so you couldn't imagine how horrible mom's fever went! We're all so worried and yet we are unable to do anything but wait for his safe return…"

By the time Dark finished his big fat lie, the receptionist was leeching the hotel's tissue supply. She sobbed and quickly gave Dark the customer logbook.

"Thank you so much! May God pay you back by a thousandfold!"

He skimmed the book for Krad's name. There was a record of his old cabin number. Krad ignored that and saw a new entry with Krad's name. He was using a false surname.

_Krad Szeinberg – Minioka Luxury Lodgings – Private Cabin 666_

Szeinberg? Is he pretending to be German? Dark sweatdropped.

"Where is this Minioka Luxury Lodgings?" He asked the receptionist, who by now had wasted most of her tears.

"I-It's a very luxurious group of cabins built inside the crater of a dead volcano. Being so secluded and exclusive, most of Japan's famous artists and politicians live there. It's very expensive though, and you can only access it by helicopter."

"So… can I rent a helicopter, then?"

"I'm sorry, but the helicopters are all booked today."

Dark groaned. "Oh, come on, you've got to be kidding me!"

"Although…"

"Although…?"

"There is that one plane that no-one uses anymore. People say that it's haunted."

"Arrrghh, whatever, just gimme that one!"

The receptionist hastily gave him the keys to the hangar. "Free of charge – but whatever happens is not my fault!"

_.o.o._

Nothing. He found nothing. Even after furiously digging the whole place up, he still found nothing.

It was futile.

Satoshi leaned against one of the posts of his cabin's porch. He didn't dare to go in. That cabin held a lot of memories… of Daisuke. He couldn't face it all.

So he sat outside in the cold snow.

He stared at his bandaged hand. He hadn't changed his bandages since the day Daisuke left. The blood was clotting and drying out. Now that he's acknowledged it, the injury stung painfully in the cold.

A loud whirr from overhead caught his attention. Satoshi looked up and saw a massive shadow.

A rope ladder was dropped from the plane above him. Dark peeked over the plane's body.

"Hey, commander! Grab on!"

"W-What are you doing!"

"Rescuing Dai-chan, what else! Now hurry up!"

Satoshi jumped on the ladder with haste, and they set off towards the dead volcano.

"I'm coming… Daisuke…"

_.o.o._

"…They're coming. Isn't this exciting, Niwa-kun?" Krad chuckled again, fully untying the gag from around Daisuke's head. The boy was too weak to scream, so he bit his lip in despair.

Krad kissed him roughly. "I don't like it when you bite your lip like that. It's not fun." He said, hovering over the boy and staring into ruby eyes.

"Your eyes are beautiful too. And your hair has a lovely natural shade of red. It's so rare. Every bit of you is so rare." He grabbed Daisuke's hair violently and sniffed its scent.

"I'm going to have some more fun with you, before the young master arrives. Is that alright? …Or should I just kill you now?"

Daisuke gasped slightly. "N-No more… please… no m-more…" He begged, crying. He felt severely traumatised. His body was screaming for rest. But Krad gave him none of that. He hated himself for surrendering so easily to the man's touches. He felt weak, he felt crushed.

He hadn't the chance to escape, since Krad has been satisfying himself with him for the past hour. He came countless of times. His body felt dry from all the tension he was put under. He had surrendered to the blond's acts from the start.

It was the end for him.

"You're so cute when you're crying. But I guess that's it for now. I've damaged you enough." Krad sat up and jumped off the bed. He put on some clothes, and took out his revolver. He pointed it to Daisuke's chest.

"But first, I'll let you have five questions. Ask me anything."

_.o.o._

Krad's personality is turning for the worst. I'm pretty sure I scared off a lot of readers this time, what with the yaoi scene… I'm sorry, but it was necessary for the story. You may have noticed that I've changed the rating, the title and the summary. I just thought that the story has changed from what I originally intended it to be. I guess the title and the summary won't suit the story anymore, so I changed them to a much simpler one. Sorry if you had a hard time finding this fic.

I think the end wouldn't be too far off now. I already have the next two chapters planned. I hope I can finish them before the school term starts, because I love this story so much. Sorry it had to be so short-lived. It was fun writing it, especially the yaoi scenes –evil grin- Yeah, I'm all for shounen-ai and yaoi. Although it's not really for someone my age u-u;;

I've also redone the first few chapters, and I am uploading them just now. There aren't any ultra-major changes, but you're welcomed to have a re-read. I made Krad and Satoshi more uptight, the way they should be. Thank you for the reviewer who commented that my depictions of Satoshi in the earlier chapters were way out of it. I totally agree with your opinion, having re-read my first chapters.

Well, I'll see you guys in the next chapter!


	7. Confessions

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_A shout-out to azn-blossom! Idols forever! I typed out a short Cardcaptor Sakura fic for ya. READ IT! xD And to everyone who left reviews for chapter 5… thanks, guys! (Rushed in getting chapter 6 done so didn't have time to reply)_

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

"W-What do you want with me…?" Daisuke started, trying to ignore the gun pointed in his direction. Krad laughed.

"That's an easy one. I'm using you as bait. To get the young master. Satoshi Hiwatari. Or maybe, calling him by his real name… Satoshi Hikari."

"You mean… the Hikari arts… Dark has been stealing all along?"

"Correct, Niwa-kun. A reminder, you have three questions left before this baby goes 'bang'."

"Why wouldn't… Rio-sama c-come to the resort to get… Satoshi-kun himself?"

Krad grimaced as he brought the gun closer to Daisuke. "How dare you, a _vermin_, address Rio Hikari-sama by his first name! …But since you're going to die anyway, I guess I'll let it slip." Krad cackled.

"Rio Hikari-sama is busy entertaining his guests back at Azumano."

"What guests…?"

"That is unknown to me. Probably members from the syndicate he's in."

"One last… question… didn't Rio Hikari-sama died… _eighteen years ago_?"

Krad's expression darkened. "You don't have to know that… because now, you die." His finger was on the trigger, but before he could fully make a shot Daisuke slapped it out of his hand with some of the little strength he had left.

Then the lithe boy rolled out of the bed, taking the opportunity to escape through the window while Krad sat there, dazed and quite shocked.

Daisuke remarkably landed on a pile of soft snow, the blanket he brought with him trailing behind and hampering his movements. He quickly ran away from Krad's cabin, using what little strength he had left.

Meanwhile, the blond was laughing hysterically inside his bedroom.

"Such grace… it was expected from a rare specimen like him. Sadly, there's nowhere for you to escape, Niwa-kun! You merely postponed your demise…"

"We're hooooome!" Kicking the door open, Dark burst into the room, Satoshi following soon after.

"…Krad, 'my brother', you are SO grounded." Dark tugged the blond's long hair and smacked away his gun. But still Krad laughed.

"You people are _idiots_." He whispered maniacally. Dark smacked his head.

"Don't go around calling people idiots, you mentally-hitched jackass."

"Where's Daisuke!" Satoshi roared, clamping Krad's hand to the bedpost with his handcuffs. Krad didn't even bother to try and escape.

"He jumped out the window." He said flatly, nodding to the said place. Satoshi ordered Dark to keep an eye on the criminal while he gets Daisuke.

"That's boring! I gotta use my eyes for a lot of things! How 'bout this?" The phantom thief knocked the blond unconscious.

"That should sedate him for a while! Right, commander? …Commander?" But Satoshi was gone.

_.o.o._

Daisuke panted. His legs couldn't hold on for much longer. His body was starting to freeze from bitter cold. The blanket wasn't enough to keep the warm in, and it kept catching on to rocks, making it hard for Daisuke to keep a steady speed. The boy started to cry again.

He should've just accepted death. It would have been easier that way!

But still he never gave up… because something held him back. A feeling… a confession… something unknown to him that was screaming for release.

He kept running until he reached a solid rocky wall, stretching for miles and miles around him, never ending.

Daisuke dropped to his knees. He can't walk another step.

Why… _why_ did he leave Satoshi's cabin…?

_.o.o._

"_Daisuke_!" Satoshi called, keeping an eye out for the crimson-haired boy. He followed the trail Daisuke's blanket left behind.

For once, he didn't mind the boy being so stupid.

"_DAISUKE_!" He shouted again, ignoring the snowflakes drifting slowly around him.

…When did he start to care for the boy? Satoshi wondered. Probably since the minute he saw him shivering in the snow, leaning against a monolith that has already frozen from the cold.

And from then he kept on caring, but how could he have let the boy slip out of his hands that day when he was kidnapped? He had stopped protecting him because he was so sure that the boy was well enough to go home.

He shouldn't have stopped caring then. If that was the case, they wouldn't be here today. Both of them would otherwise be sitting in front of the fire, dwelling in a comfortable silence, drinking hot cocoa together.

Now it was all his fault. _His_. He, Satoshi Hiwatari (Hikari), had committed the biggest mistake in his life.

By letting the one he loved to be tortured in the hands of a murderer.

Satoshi ran his hand through his flailing hair.

Tears started to pour out of his ocean blue eyes.

Why…?

By the time he found Daisuke half-buried in the snow by the wall of the crater, he was crying profusely. He wiped his tears away and dropped beside Daisuke in the snow.

"Daisuke! Daisuke, wake up! Don't sleep! Please, don't sleep!" He shook the boy by his shoulders, panting. He tightened the hold of the blankets around the boy and struggled to keep him warm. Daisuke's lips were turning purple with cold.

"Oh no. No! Daisuke, please be alive!" Satoshi brought the boy to his chest, tugging him out of the snow, and carried him in his hold as he ran back to the plane.

"Daisuke, don't die on me… please!" He passed Dark while he was running. The thief followed him, shouting, "Hey! Hey!" Satoshi spared him an annoyed glance.

"What!"

"I've called the police. They've arrested Krad! And they told me to tell you to bring Daisuke to the fifth helipad! There's a helicopter there that'll bring you to the hospital in town!"

"Right, thanks!"

Satoshi changed direction, looking for the fifth helipad Dark mentioned.

In the meantime…

'Dark' chuckled, throwing the remains of a metal handcuff into the snow. "This wig works perfectly well… in a few minutes, Niwa-kun will be no more and Rio Hikari-sama can use the talent of the young master to create the Armageddon art!" Krad ripped the replica of Dark's hair from his head.

"Now, to take care of that reckless phantom thief… he's been stealing my works for far too long…"

_.o.o._

"Bring me to the hospital quick!" Satoshi shouted, jumping into the helicopter in front him.

The men inside laughed at him. "Hospital? You got us wrong, Hikari-sama. We're here to bring you home!" The helicopter started to hover.

Satoshi stiffened, hugging Daisuke closer to him. "Father's bodyguards!"

"You're one hundred-percent right, Hikari-sama! I'll take the boy now…" The man nearest to the commander tried to grab Daisuke away from Satoshi. The blue-haired boy punched him in the face.

"Don't you lay a finger on Daisuke!" He growled, kicking the man out of the helicopter and into the snow. Another lurched for him, but Satoshi swiped him in the ribs. The man fainted in pain. Satoshi pushed him out too.

Their leader, the one piloting the aircraft, swore and tried to tip the helicopter over to the side so that Daisuke would fall out of the open doors. Satoshi caught him just in time and pulled him back in, closing the door after him.

"You bastard!" Satoshi rammed the hilt of a rifle he found lying around into the man's head. He dropped, unconscious.

The helicopter swayed without anyone controlling it. Satoshi quickly opened the door and deposited the man out, not caring how high they were.

Swiftly, Satoshi caught a hold of the helicopter's controllers and steadied the aircraft. Thank goodness he studied a little but about piloting back in his police training!

At the same time, Daisuke was starting to warm up and regain consciousness. "Aahh…?"

Satoshi swivelled around and, setting the helicopter on 'Auto Pilot', helped Daisuke to sit up.

"Daisuke… are you feeling alright?" He asked softly, brushing the melting snow out of Daisuke's wet hair. The sixteen-year-old boy looked up at the commander with half-lidded eyes. When he finally recognized who it was stroking his hair, he instantly embraced him.

"Satoshi! Satoshi! You rescued me!" He coughed, crying happily. Satoshi was stunned at the sudden contact, but returned the hug anyway.

"I guess… I did, huh?"

Daisuke sniffled. "I'm glad that you came to get me, Satoshi. I thought I was going to die." He leaned against Satoshi's chest, sharing his warmth.

"Shhh. Don't say that." They revelled in the sounds of the spinning blades of the helicopter, soft howl of wind outside, carrying snowflakes in its hold, and the sound of each others' heartbeats…

"By the way… where are we going?"

Satoshi realized that the plane was going towards nowhere and jumped frantically to the controls.

…It's going to be a long flight.

_.o.o._

The doctor approached Satoshi and smiled. "Satoshi Hiwatari, I presume?"

Satoshi, who was sitting, stood up and demanded Daisuke's condition.

"Don't worry, don't worry. He's recovering pretty fast. Before, he was suffering from starvation, dehydration and exhaustion. And mild hypothermia. If you hadn't saved him in time, he would've have been in ICU. But he's okay now; he's being fed by one of the nurses. If you want to go in and visit him, he's in Room 92. And uh, your other friend, Dark… he was shot in the arm and torso. _He's_ the one in ICU. They're still trying to get the bullets out, but I'll inform you when he's ready for visitors."

Satoshi thanked the doctor for his help and jogged off to see Daisuke, deciding to visit Dark later. After all, he owed the kaitou a lot for helping him in rescuing Daisuke.

The said red-haired boy was eating a huge bowl of mashed potatoes given to him by the nurse nearby, who sweatdropped at his appetite. Seeing Satoshi, he grinned so brightly it made the whole room shine.

"Satoshi! Look, they're giving me mashed potatoes! Do you want some?" Daisuke raised a spoonful to his saviour.

The nurse beside him signalled to Satoshi that the food had been mixed with Daisuke's medicine, and that he better not eat it.

"Ummm… I'm fine, thanks." Satoshi declined his offer, sitting on the visitor's seat beside the bed.

"I'll be leaving now Niwa-kun, but if you need anything, just press the button behind your head." The nurse pointed to the said button. Daisuke gave her an 'A-OK' signal and continued to eat. The nurse giggled and bowed goodbye to Satoshi.

"So how are you feeling?" The aqua-eyed boy asked gently, raising Daisuke's pillow so that it could support his back while he eats.

"Better. Oh, Satoshi, Satoshi, look at this!" Daisuke pressed a button at the side of the bed. His little dining table distanced from him, and his bed lowered. The light also dimmed.

"This is for when I wanna sleep. When I wake up, I press it again and…" Daisuke pressed the button again. The little dining table neared his chest, and the bed rose. The light became brighter.

"…Isn't it cool!" He said animatedly, continuing to eat his food. Satoshi chuckled.

"You've become much more energetic since we last met."

"Yeah, the nurse gave me a lot of sweets, so I got hyper. Oh yeah, how's Dark?"

"Krad shot him in the arm and in the guts. They're getting the bullets out right now."

"Oh. I want to visit him."

"We'll be able to later." Daisuke nodded.

Satoshi took the medical report at the end of the bed while Daisuke ate his food more slowly.

'_Dehydration – 75 water loss_

_Starvation_

_Exhaustion_

_Mild hypothermia – enzymes ceased functioning_'

Satoshi read all of the description, until he saw the last report at the bottom of the sheet.

_Repeated sexual assaults_

And the report went on to say which parts were bruised.

Satoshi couldn't stop the tears from flowing again. It was all his fault.

Daisuke got worried when Satoshi sobbed noisily.

"Umm… Satoshi? What's up?"

Suddenly, Daisuke felt strong arms encircling him in a tight hug. Satoshi held him like he never wanted to let go.

"I… I'm sorry." Daisuke's eyes widened.

"…W-What for?"

"…Because of me… y-you… you were…"

Daisuke breathed out slowly. Satoshi can be so thoughtful. The scarlet-eyed boy placed his bowl of mashed potatoes on the little dining table set across him and hugged Satoshi's torso loosely.

"Satoshi, it's not your fault."

He could feel the commander's head shake wildly.

"I-If… I had gone… w-with you, Krad… wouldn't have a chance to… even _t-think_ about… kidnapping you."

Daisuke rubbed Satoshi shivering back. The commander was still crying. The red-haired boy never saw him so fragile… so weak… so burdened with guilt.

"I was careless. If I hadn't taken that shortcut, Krad wouldn't have nabbed me. So please, don't blame everything on yourself."

"But you were _raped!_ _Repeatedly! _And your wrists were bound so tight, _blood_ came out!"

Satoshi pulled Daisuke closer to him. Daisuke laughed non-humorously. "So that's what you were reading about on the report." He looked at his wrists. True, there were marks and cuts everywhere. But they were healing rapidly, and have all sealed up. The nurse even bandaged them loosely.

And for being raped… he's just glad he escaped.

"Satoshi, it's over. I'm here now, and that's what counts. _You_ saved me."

"But I could have done _something_ to prevent it from happening in the first place."

Daisuke laughed again, more gaily this time. "You dope. It's not like you're my mom or anything. Stop being so protective of me."

Maybe it was just his nerves, but Daisuke felt Satoshi's arms hugging him tighter.

"It's only… natural that I am so… p-protective of you… because…" He couldn't keep it a secret any longer. His heart is bursting for him to tell the truth. Satoshi broke his hold on Daisuke and stared into the smaller boy's eyes.

"…Daisuke, _I love you_!"

_.o.o._

No, this is not the last chapter! I still haven't told you about what happened to Krad and 'Rio Hikari' (well, he's not Rio Hikari, really, he's something Hiwatari), and what the Armageddon art is. All will be explained in the next chapter.

Oh and **berettaboy,** I've changed what the doctor said. Now that you mention it, what you're saying is right u-u; This one must be a street-wise doc or something. But I've changed it.

Well, see you in the next chapter!

**OH YEAH! IF YOU KNOW THE NAME OF SATOSHI'S DAD, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE TELL ME! I know that people call him 'Commissioner Hiwatari' but what's his first name? THANK YOU!**


	8. Case Developments

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

The aftermath of his confession was nothing short from surprising. Daisuke was so shocked he sent his bowl of mashed potatoes flying to Satoshi's face. It's a good thing that the bowl was plastic.

The commander licked the food off his lips, and set the bowl on the little dining table again. He grabbed a box of tissues from a drawer and wiped his face, along with the hospital shirt the male nurses lent to him (since his clothes were drenched for being out in the snow).

"I…I…" Daisuke hesitated, covering his mouth with his hand. He looked genuinely reluctant to give an answer anytime soon. He grabbed a tissue and helped to wipe bits of the mashed potato off Satoshi's blue hair.

Satoshi held his wrist and kissed it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said something like that while you are in such a state." He placed the petite hand beside Daisuke's body, and pressed the button at the side of the bed. The bed dropped slowly and the light dimmed. Satoshi ruffled the smaller boy's hair and stood up.

"I'm going to talk to the doctor about Dark's condition. I won't be long. Have a rest, you're still recuperating." He gave Daisuke a small smile and walked out of the room.

Daisuke nodded distractedly. There was a lot of confusing things on his mind, and he needed to sort them out… quickly.

Outside…

Satoshi closed the door behind him and stopped. He leaned against the door and frowned.

So much for being suave.

What's going to happen between him and Daisuke now…?

_.o.o._

"Well, Dark-san is coping alright with the operation. They've succeeded in disposing of the bullet in his arm, but most critically, the bullet in his stomach is embedded deep, and is dangerously near to his left kidney. They're trying to get that one out as fast as they can." The doctor closed the flap on his chart.

"Meanwhile, Hiwatari-san, a few policemen are here to talk to you about the bullets… and other things. They're waiting in the Patients' Lounge. It further along from here, and on your first right."

Satoshi raised an eyebrow. Hopefully, they won't be father's candidates, he prayed. If it were father's candidates, and they know about what he did to father's bodyguards in the helicopter, there'd be hell to pay.

"Thank you." Satoshi bowed to the doctor and proceeded to meet the officers.

Thankfully, they're just the police officers like the ones from the Harada cabin. The blond cadet who accompanied Satoshi and Daisuke through the Death Dancer experience was still there, smiling sheepishly. Looks like he didn't really resign after all. Maybe he's still saving for that pearl necklace.

"So, what do you want to see me about?" Satoshi asked, standing with his hands in his pockets.

"Have a seat, Commander. We've got a lot to talk about." The taller policeman of the two, the one with the jet black hair, ordered. He looked strict and unforgiving, even though he was wearing casual clothes. Only the badge on his waist gave his identity away as a policeman.

Satoshi complied and sat silently on the armchair nearest to him.

"First off, I'm Officer Rikou. This is Trainee Officer Kazuki." Rikou introduced the blond cadet beside him.

"I understand that you're the son of Commissioner Kei Hiwatari, correct?"

Satoshi nodded curtly. "That's right."

"Well, that makes it easier for us. You do know that the man you have reported, Krad Szeinberg, has killed a suspect of our Harada murder case?"

"…No, I do not."

Rikou handed Satoshi a file. "The details are in this folder." Satoshi skimmed through the reports.

"On Sunday, the 16th of December, Keiji Yureki was shot eight consecutive times all over his body. Two in his head, three in his chest, and the rest in his stomach. We believe it is the work of Krad-san for a number of reasons. The bullets we dug out of the corpse were all consistent with a Firecast 2.3, an 8-spin revolver created uniquely for Krad-san, and is bound to his firearms license. Secondly, we found this at the crime scene. It was stuck behind a rock."

Rikou nodded at Kazuki. The trainee officer quickly withdrew a translucent plastic bag containing a silver cross.

"From our folder pictures of Krad Szeinberg… or, since the surname is not real - just 'Krad', this was sometimes tied at the end of his hair, is it not?"

Satoshi examined the cross with mild interest. "I apologize, but I have never met Krad-san before, so I am not aware of the accessories he chose for himself." Rikou sighed, and commanded Kazuki to take the cross back.

"This is the part that we wish to expand to you. Since your companions, Dark-san and Niwa-san, had close encounters with Krad-san, and was close friends with him before; I was wondering if you could ask them to verify that this cross is his. After all, Dark-san was shot by the same bullets Keiji was murdered with, and Niwa-san was rap-"

Satoshi stopped him before he could fully finish the 'r' word. He didn't want to break down again in front of these incompetent fools. "Are you saying that you didn't manage to capture Krad?"

Rikou's face steeled defensively. "Well… no." Satoshi glared at him.

"Then I have no reason to help you." If they couldn't even catch the one who violated his beloved effectively, then why should he help them fail again? Satoshi stood up to leave.

"Please understand the situation, Commander. This unfortunate event is indirectly linked to Niwa-san's assault." Rikou reminded, shaking the file Satoshi gave back to him.

"How so?" The blue-eyed teenager asked coldly, throwing Rikou a sharp glance.

"If we catch Krad-san, we would be solving all four cases at once. Sort of."

"And you're telling me that I should snap up that one-in-a-million chance of you nabbing that scoundrel?"

"Yes."

Satoshi grunted.

"Look, we already have some leads on the case. We're suspecting that the Commissioner had something to do wit-" Rikou slapped a hand over Kazuki's mouth. The trainee officer reeled back, rubbing his sore lips.

"That is classified information."

Satoshi turned to face them again. "Oh, I wanted him to continue."

"But…"

"Who knows! I might cooperate with you." Besides, Satoshi had a strong impression that his father _really_ had something to do with everything that happened so far.

Rikou considered this for a moment. After a while, he reluctantly urged Kazuki to continue.

"If you would pardon me saying, sir, we think that Commissioner Kei Hiwatari is the leader of an underground cult called the Armageddon. As far as our information goes, Krad is the number one sadist in the mob, carrying out most of the group's dirty work all by himself. And it is said that the Commissioner is creating a bomb that could destroy the world!"

Rikou nudged Kazuki in the stomach. "Don't make it sound worse."

"Well, actually, he's just planning to use the bomb to threaten the Japanese government into giving him control over the financial quarter of the country. But that's still bad, right!"

Satoshi raised his eyebrows. "Then why didn't you just arrest my father instead of running around trying to catch a flea like Krad?"

Rikou chose to answer this one. "Unfortunately, we don't have enough evidence to imprison the Commissioner. Krad's our only known key to the organization. So… will you help us?"

Satoshi looked away. "…Alright. But if you waste Dais- I mean, Niwa's effort in telling you, I'm not going to let you get away with it."

Rikou was so relieved; he slumped into the chair he was sitting in. Kazuki gave the cross to Satoshi.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I have to check up on a friend of mine." And the Commander left.

_.o.o._

He loved him.

He _loved_ him.

_He loved him_.

He loved. _Him_.

After revising nearly a thousand ways to re-define the three-worded statement, Daisuke stopped.

His eyes concentrated on nothing in particular at the ceiling above, his brain gears reeling as if driven by a million hamsters.

He thought more deeply about the predicament he's in. No, the predicament _both_ of them are in.

They're both guys, right? Unless Satoshi genetically mutated during his stay in the resort, he's still a guy (and a handsome one, at that). And Daisuke's pretty sure he's a straight guy. I mean, he still has _something_ down there that he takes great pride in.

…Maybe he's bent?

Not in the mental sense, but as in… the gender-conscious sense? He has to admit, he looks quite feminine. But he didn't act like a girl. Never. He never said anything like, 'I need to get a manicure', right? And he never worries about slimming down a bit, or dieting. And he certainly _never_ played with lingerie or stuff like that.

"Then why does Satoshi like… no, _love_ me?"

…Why indeed?

_.o.o._

"…Yes, I believe Dark-san is ready for visitors. We've given him some anaesthetics to allow time for his wounds to heal, but you've got a few minutes before it takes effect. He's placed in the ICU unit, as you might already know, and his room number is 23."

Satoshi held the doctor back for a second. "My other friend, Daisuke Niwa, wishes to visit Dark. May I borrow a wheelchair, please? And if possible, can you tell me the location of a telephone in the hospital so that I could contact their parents?"

The doctor thought for a moment. "Well, you can get the wheelchair from the nurse's desk over there, and the telephone is near to the Patients' Lounge, the place that you had just returned from."

"Thank you."

"It was my pleasure. Call on any doctor or nurse in here if you need any further help."

Satoshi nodded as the doctor wished him a pleasant evening. He stared at his watch. Half past nine. Since he had special permission to remain beside Daisuke's side, he was allowed to stay beyond visiting hours. That was a relief for him.

Anyway, he turned to the nurse at the desk near to him.

"May I have a wheelchair, please?"

"Of course, you can, honey. Just sign this logbook over here."

Satoshi moved his right hand to do so, but instead he was brought to look at the condition of the bandage wrapped around his hand. It was so dirty he actually grimaced. Even the nurse gasped in horror.

"Mercy! What is that horrifying _thing_!"

"It's my hand." Satoshi sounded quite offended.

"What happened to it! We need to get that fixed, darling, pronto! Think about the germs! The _germs_!"

She dragged Satoshi for to the nearest supplies closet and snatched every anti-bacterium bottle she could fit in her arms… amongst other things.

She then hauled Satoshi to a sink nearby. While she disposed the filthy bandage, the water in the sink was allowed to well up. She then poured the anti-bacterium into the water, and dipped Satoshi's hand into it.

Yes, I know that's a bit extreme. But that bandage hasn't been changed for quite some time. And the blood was drying up.

Satoshi winced at the pain. Although most of the gash has sealed up, there's still a part of it that's still red, a sign of a new layer of flesh. And that part stung the most when it came in contact with the water.

"Sorry, dearie, but this won't be a moment." The nurse let Satoshi's hand stay in the water for a few more seconds before she took it out and wiped it gently dry, before enveloping it with a new layer of pure-white bandage.

"Who bandaged your hand before? It was so lovingly done; it looked like the handiworks of a trained nurse!" Satoshi blushed a tint. _Lovingly done_…? Daisuke did wrap it slowly so that Satoshi wouldn't feel much of the pain. Does that count as 'lovingly done'?

"Anywho, let's get you - or whoever it is you're getting it for - a wheelchair, okay?" The nurse pulled him back to the desk.

"Uh… yeah."

_.o.o._

"Hello." Satoshi said stiffly, steering the wheelchair to the side of the bed. Daisuke blushed and smiled at him.

"Dark's ready for us to visit him. So…" Satoshi offered Daisuke his hand to help him into the chair. Daisuke shook his head wildly.

"I… don't actually need a wheelchair…" He said stubbornly, swinging his legs onto the floor and standing up.

He actually did okay for the first few seconds, but after that he started to wobble from lack of energy. He shrieked and fell onto Satoshi, who in turn fell onto the hospital bed. It took them quite a bit to realize that they were in a _very_ awkward position.

"S-Sorry!" Daisuke tried to push himself off the commander, but Satoshi kept him back, so he fell again. The sixteen-year-old boy blushed as Satoshi smirked. The blue-eyed teenager wrapped his arms around Daisuke.

"Now who's the smart one…?" Satoshi whispered into Daisuke's ear, as the boy shuddered from the touch of his breath. The commander lifted the smaller boy up and gently released him into the wheelchair.

Daisuke's face was still fiery from their close contact.

"You're so light. Have you eaten anything solid since you were submitted into the hospital?" Satoshi slowly carted the patient out of the room and into the corridor, and they slowly made their way to the ICU unit.

"I… I remember a chicken sandwich…"

Satoshi sighed. "After we see Dark, we're going straight to the cafeteria."

"Aren't patients supposed to remain in their rooms?"

Satoshi chuckled. "…Just this once, I'm sure the doctor will give us permission."

At that time, Daisuke decided that he definitely likes Satoshi's caring side.

…But does he _love_ it?

_.o.o._

Okay, that's long enough. I said that everything's going to be explained in this chapter, but I guess I got carried away by everything… maybe in the next one. Hey, cheer up, it means that Weak will be around for a little bit longer…

See everyone in the next chapter! …And thanks for the reviews!

P/S: Oh and **berettaboy,** I've changed what the doctor said. Now that you mention it, what you're saying is right u-u; This one must be a street-wise doc or something. But I've changed it.

And **Daishi**: **THANK YOU FOR TELLING ME**! Did you find that out in Volume 8 or something…? I don't have that one yet, so…


	9. Krad's Confession

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

The kaitou stared at the ceiling in boredom. The machinery around him sounded at regular intervals, taking note of his health dutifully. The nurse beside him was rubbing a wet cotton piece of wool onto the little speck that was the entry and exit point of the anaesthetic shot needle a few seconds ago.

Dark grumbled silently. What has become of the famous legendary art thief, Dark Mousy? Lying in a hospital bed like a lifeless pillar, he is. The tubes on his hands restricted much of his movements, and he had to request help from the assigned nurse to even drink a glass of water. Not that he needed one anyway. The tubes took care of (_most of_) his needs.

"Miss, how long am I to be hospitalized?"

The nurse looked up, startled. Maybe she thought that the anaesthetic would have taken _some _effect by then.

"Ummm…"

Dark sighed. "I guess I'm going to see you a _lot_ from now on, eh?" He winked at the blushing nurse.

There was a knock at the door. The nurse quickly went to open it.

"Hey, Dark!" Daisuke greeted happily, smiling at the man on the bed. Satoshi wheeled him to the side of the bed and gave Dark a nod, absently reminding himself the position of his handcuffs. Oh yeah, he left them at Krad's cabin.

Dark raised his bed a little and smiled back. "Hey, little guy! How are you?" He politely asked the nurse to leave them alone for a while. She was hesitant, but the nurse left anyway.

"I'm okay. How about you?"

"Well, I'm not too proud to say that I've now got a scar on my stomach _and_ my arm." Dark snorted. Daisuke laughed.

"I thought they gave you some anaesthetics?" Satoshi asked offhandedly, standing beside Daisuke's wheelchair protectively.

"Yeah, well, you don't expect a legendary kaitou to take it _that_ easily, do you?" Dark eyed Satoshi critically. The commander shrugged.

"I heard that Krad shot you. How did that happen?" Daisuke asked worriedly, placing a hand of Dark's own. The thief seemed none too proud to talk about his carelessness.

"He was only pretending to be unconscious, so he slipped from the handcuffs like an eel. And I was sleeping."

"_Sleeping_?" Now it was Satoshi's turn to give Dark the judicious eye.

"Hey, flying that bloody plane was like trying to pilot a plane-shaped _rock_!" The kaitou argued defensively, glaring at the commander. Satoshi looked away nonchalantly. Daisuke sweatdropped.

"Anyway," He interjected, "Why didn't you grab the pistol before Krad could shoot you?"

"I told you, Dai-chan, I was _sleepin'_. Like a log, at that. He must've had the gun somewhere nearby when he shot me. I thought that it was _obvious_, _commander_, that any firearm should be _removed_ from the accused before you even _try_ leave the scene?" Dark spat heatedly.

Satoshi inhaled a sharp intake of breath. "I forgot about that." He whispered quietly.

"_What_! Speak _louder_!"

Daisuke calmed them both down. "Let's not argue on that, okay? What's passed has passed."

There was silence in the room. Then Satoshi said, "I need to know what the Armageddon art is."

Dark seemed quite startled. "Where did you hear about that, creepy boy?"

Satoshi resisted the growing urge to drive a stake into the kaitou's healing stomach wound. "A couple of police officers came to talk to me about it."

"Well, if you really want to know… the Armageddon art is one of the ancient ways of global rebirth, contained in a book written by your ancestors. It is quite a powerful spell."

"Spell?"

"It kinda tunes with magic. _Sorcery_. I believe that you at least have _some_ knowledge of that kind of stuff, right, commander?"

"Uh. Yeah."

Daisuke looked excited. He regarded Satoshi with bright eyes. "Your ancestors were _wizards_, Satoshi-kun?"

Dark and Satoshi sweatdropped. "Sort of." The latter of the two replied, rubbing the back of his neck.

"More like advanced alchemists. They transmuted gold and such, so they were incredibly rich back then. But Dark stole everything from us." He went on to say, giving Dark a casual look. The kaitou appeared indignant.

"Anyway, the Armageddon art can only be launched in the hands of a Hikari. That explains why Hiwatari wanted you back as soon as possible. But…"

"But…?" Satoshi leaned on the side table and crossed his arms.

"Maybe Hiwatari knew that you would resist, so he ordered Krad to kidnap Daisuke, and to use him for bait. But… the raping… Krad probably did that as prompted by his own sick desires."

Daisuke's face changed. Dramatically. But nobody noticed, as they were too engrossed in the current story.

"Yeah… and 'en… 'e tricked ya inta goin' ta tha' fake 'elipad… ta bring ya 'ome… poooooobably…" Dark's words started to become terribly slurred. (yes, the typos are DELIBERATE)

Satoshi sweatdropped. "We won't be able to get much out of you in this situation, would we?" He tucked in Dark's blankets and lowered the bed. The kaitou waved him off drowsily.

"Sleep tight, don't let the handcuffs bite." Satoshi said half-heartedly as he brought Daisuke out of the room.

As they were strolling down the corridors to the cafeteria, Satoshi noticed that Daisuke wasn't being as preppy as he was before. In fact, he was rather despondent. The commander stopped the wheelchair in front of the lift doors and pressed the 'Down' button. While waiting, he squatted beside Daisuke's arm.

"Daisuke…? Is something wrong?" He asked worriedly, trying to rub the smaller boy's pale cheeks. Surprisingly, Daisuke shied away from him.

"I… I'm f-fine." He tried to give a smile. Satoshi refused to believe him.

"No, you're not. You're deadly pale." He countered, trying to touch Daisuke again. The boy tried to evade his hand.

"…Daisuke?"

"Hikari-kun, please, don't." Daisuke said coldly, wheeling himself into the lift that was opening in front of them.

Satoshi froze. Why did he call him so…?

"Excuse me, sir. The lift is waiting." A nurse handling another patient in a wheelchair reminded him, and Satoshi entered the lift dazedly. Daisuke's eyes were shielded by his bangs, so Satoshi couldn't see his expression.

But he wanted so badly to.

_.o.o._

"A bowl of rice and a platter of steamed fish, please." Satoshi requested as the man behind the counter nodded and punched in the price to be paid into his cashier machine.

"What would you like to drink?"

"I would like a cup of black coffee and a bottle of orange juice." The man readied the order and placed the tray over the counter.

"That would be nine hundred and thirty yen."

Satoshi handed over the money and took the tray. He brought it to a table adjacent to a window, where Daisuke was waiting. Satoshi laid it carefully in front of the boy. Daisuke didn't even move, and continued to stare morosely out of the window.

"Daisuke…? Come on, eat up." Satoshi tapped Daisuke's side of the table. The boy turned around, but evaded his eyes entirely. He muttered a silent thanks.

"Itadakimasu." He said, before picking up his chopsticks and starting to eat. Satoshi folded his arms and waited for any reaction. Daisuke didn't do much, to his disappointment. The commander sighed silently and sipped his black coffee.

"Can you tell me what's wrong now, Daisuke?" He said, leaning attentively to the younger boy. Daisuke shook his head slowly.

"Nothing's wrong."

Satoshi's face hardened only slightly.

"You're a horrible liar, Daisuke."

"Really, Hikari-kun, I'm fine."

Daisuke continued to eat in silence. Satoshi sighed, his eyebrows creasing. Taking another sip of his coffee, he reached out to pinch a grain of rice from the corner of Daisuke's mouth.

The scarlet-haired boy looked terrified for a moment, and slapped Satoshi's hand away. The commander sat, shocked, his hand still hovering in mid-air.

"I-I'm sorry, commander, but I think I need to take my medication now!" Daisuke wheeled himself away fervently, nearly knocking over a janitor in the process.

Satoshi frowned as a heavy block of uneasiness crushed his chest.

Why is Daisuke behaving so peculiarly…?

_.o.o._

The nurse injected something into his arm while Daisuke spaced out. She said some things about the weather and recent happenings in the outside world, but Daisuke was inattentive to it all.

Being raped… it is such a disgrace to be looked down upon as so? Isn't suicide worst? Or is your dignity more important than your life? These things confused Daisuke very much. He was scared of rapists, but he was more terrified of death. It was this… _reality _he believed in that strengthened his will to escape from Krad's clutches.

Of course, people are more familiar with rape cases that they've forgotten the near death experiences. And this is why people look down on death. It's because they've never felt it for themselves, or they never hear of such an occurrence everyday. That's not the case with rape victims. Most reported rape cases get at least a newspaper coverage. On rare occasions, the victims can even be interviewed. But you can't interview dead people, can you? They're _dead_. So isn't that worst? The victims should be glad that they were allowed to live on, but the dead people are wiped out of the face of the earth. They can't be resurrected. They can't start over, like rape victims can.

…Daisuke held on to this belief. He was grateful that he was permitted to live, instead of falling at the power of a revolver. Why can't they understand that? Why do they still pity him excessively? He didn't need pity. He needed help. Why can't they _help_ him?

Daisuke shook his head. What is he thinking about? He's too confused. His mind was tangled with mixed opinions. He needs to rest. The nurse was had gone, being called to an emergency in some other ward somewhere else. The red-haired boy sank into his bedsheets.

"…You can come out of there, Krad. I won't call the nurse." He said quietly. He was too exhausted to do even press the call button. A lot had been on his mind, and he spent nearly all of his energy trying to sort them out.

A snicker came from behind the screen blocking the window view.

"Well, well; such good senses, Niwa-kun. You are indeed a rare specimen." The long-haired criminal clicked his tongue, passing the bed and lowering the blinds so that it covers the window looking into the ward.

Daisuke only kept quiet.

"Nn? You are so passive today. Whatever is the matter…?" Krad stood at the end of the bed, smirking clandestinely behind his bangs. Daisuke hugged himself and brought his legs closer to his body, creating some distance between them both.

"Why did you rape me?" He questioned shakily, watching the tears that were falling into his lap. Krad sighed and took off his white hat, leaving it by the chair. He sat on the bed, beside Daisuke, wrapping his arms around the small body of the sixteen-year-old. At first, the boy tried to push him away, but his efforts soon died down because of exhaustion.

Daisuke caved in and sobbed into Krad's white shirt. It was kind of ironic for him to be so _open_ to the very person who he wanted to put up bars against.

"There, there, now. You wish to know _why_ I indulged myself in you, correct?" Krad caressed the boy's hair gently, allowing Daisuke's head to rest at the crook of his neck.

"There was no reason for you to rape me!" The red-eyed boy shouted hoarsely, rubbing his watery eyes.

"But there was, my sweet." Krad lifted Daisuke's chin so that those ruby eyes were staring straight into his golden ones.

"What…? What was it…? What was your reason…?"

Krad kissed the boy soundly on the lips.

"…Love. My reason is my love for you, Niwa-kun."

_.o.o._


	10. Tension

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

**_More news for you. I've decided to extend the story. I just simply love it so much that I never want it to end. This is the first story that I thoroughly enjoy writing for since I started writing, so I want the moment to last. I hope you don't mind!_**

_.o.o._

"Hiwatari-sama, a couple of officers are here to see you." The butler informed, standing very still beside the doorway of the library. Kei Hiwatari looked up from an old book calmly, his legs remaining unmoved, propped up on a stool.

"Oh? What is it that they want to see me about?" He queried sternly.

"They request a portion of your time, sir, for a thorough interrogation about an underground cult."

Kei's face hardened considerably. He exchanged his reading glasses with his usual ones, replaced the book on a nearby shelf, and proceeded to exit the library. Passing the butler, he gave a strict glare.

"Do not allow them to enter this library at all costs, understand?" He warned, and the butler replied with a brisk nod.

_.o.o._

Satoshi cupped the water in his hands and splashed them onto his face. He hunched over the white sink, blowing the droplets of water off of his lips as he sighed. His glasses lay in front of the mirror, slightly wet from the sprinkles of water coming from Satoshi's hair, of which he whipped about every now and then, just to release a bit of frustration.

The commander closed the tap and straightened, slumping against the wall beside him and running a hand through his wet hair. He remained in that position for quite some time, his eyes looking at the tiled floor, but his thoughts lingering somewhere else.

Daisuke had never rejected his hand before.

But when he did, it shocked the seventeen-year-old boy a whole lot.

What had prompted him to react in such a negative way? That's what Satoshi's been mulling over for the past half an hour. And the fact that the hospital had only warm water taps was not helping. He needed a cold shower to properly think things through.

And sometimes, what Satoshi wants, he gets.

_.o.o._

Daisuke's eyes were fixed on the blond holding him.

What evil is lurking behind those beautiful golden eyes? He did not know.

He was so confused. Krad, the first person to make love to him, although forcefully, adored him in some way.

He was rendered completely speechless.

"Come away with me." Krad whispered seductively into Daisuke's ears. But still the boy stayed silent.

"We will escape to America… China… Africa… France… I've always loved the Alps, don't you?" The blond chuckled, massaging Daisuke's neck and kissing him, more deeply this time.

Daisuke was muted by shock.

"Niwa-kun… what's on your mind…?" Krad traced Daisuke's small Adam's apple, subconsciously asking the question as the outline of the Adam's apple bobbed.

"…I'll leave you to decide. I'll return sometime later, and by then… I expect an answer." The armed blond moved to leave. Daisuke stopped him.

"Why… _why_ do you love me?" He asked, almost desperately, close to tears. The pain of Krad's love resounded in his body, and it made him so miserable that he broke down as quickly as Krad kissed him.

"You are a rare specimen, my love. Rarity at its best."

"But _why_ am I rare? Why do you treat me like an animal!" Daisuke was crying hard by now, his blanket wet from his tears.

"…Because no ordinary person could attract the young master's attention so successfully." Krad explained, before giving Daisuke one last nip to his bare shoulder, of which was exposed when the blond stretched the collar of his hospital sweatshirt.

Krad left, as mysteriously as he had came, leaving Daisuke dazed and irresponsive in his bed.

_.o.o._

Deciding Daisuke might need a time off alone based on his actions that night, Satoshi logged out of the hospital and returned to his cabin. As was planned, he took a cold shower, but even that couldn't clear things up. Satoshi left the shower feeling like a prune.

He watched as Kvar robbed the food bowl of its contents. Satoshi remembered vaguely that the animal hasn't eaten for days, and added another can of cat food just to make up for the lost meals. Kvar wolfed those down too.

Tired, the commander literally dropped onto the plushy sofa in front of the fireplace. He sat there for a long time, subconsciously admiring the flames as their colours twirled in his liquid blue eyes.

After a time, Kvar jumped onto the armrest beside him and slowly seeped onto his lap. Satoshi stroked the cat's smooth fur as the beast licked his hand with its rough tongue.

Suddenly, the boy noticed a piece of rolled up paper tucked into Kvar's collar. Satoshi quickly pulled it out and read it.

'_Young master, I have been given a plethora of women (and an equal share of men) to satisfy myself with in the past, yet Niwa-kun's heart is the only one I truly desired._

_His smile, his laughter, his love… I want to own it all._

_I shall seize him from you; both as a rival and an enemy. _

_--He is **mine**.'_

Satoshi stared and re-read the letter.

For the second time in his life, he was terrified.

The phone rang. When was it fixed?

Satoshi picked up the receiver and was met with the worried voice of the doctor.

"May I know if this is the Hiwatari residence?"

"Yes… this is Satoshi Hiwatari."

"I am sorry for disturbing you so late in the night, but Hiwatari-san, we request your presence at the hospital. Niwa-san is refusing to take his medicated meals, and I worry for his health. At his stage of recovery, he needs all the medicated meals that he can get to replenish the loss of nutrients in his blood. Will you come and convince him to eat the food? He has been ignoring the nurse for the past hour."

Satoshi's eyes widened. He replied with a hasty 'yes', and quickly phoned his driver.

"Driver-san, I need you to take me back to the hospital!"

_.o.o._

"Please, Niwa-san! You have to eat this!" The nurse pleaded desperately, trying to entice Daisuke by putting a bowl of mashed potatoes in front of his face. It didn't work.

The boy continued to stare ahead, gazing at nothing.

"I'm not hungry." He replied shortly, his hand slowly reaching up to touch the mark Krad left on his shoulder.

"Niwa-kun, this is for your own good! Please, you must consume this! It is very uncharacteristic for me to force food onto patients, but in your situation, I have no choice but to do so. Please, Niwa-kun, before I have to resort to more drastic measures!"

Daisuke slowly eased himself down on the bed and turned to his side, facing away from the nurse. He spoke no more to her.

There was a sound of a door being forced open harshly.

Satoshi hefted the bowl out of the nurse's arms and told her that he would handle the situation. The nurse, completely and utterly loss at what to do, left the circumstances in his hands carelessly, and exited the room with an invisible stormcloud looming over her head.

Cautiously, the commander approached the boy on the bed.

"…Daisuke?" He called, mixing the mound of mashed potatoes in the bowl with a plastic spoon. Daisuke kept his silence, which made Satoshi feel a bit alienated from his world of thoughts. Which, most of the time, is the case between the two of them, giving Daisuke's off-handed personality.

"Daisuke, why are you disobeying the doctor's orders?" Satoshi asked softly, not expecting an answer in return.

The boy shifted slightly in his bed, but he gave no other reaction.

So instead, Satoshi came up with a more sophisticated question. "Why are you behaving this way, Daisuke?"

Still no answer.

"…Is it because you hate me?"

This time, Daisuke moved quite a bit. He covered the mark on his shoulder, a move that Satoshi definitely noticed, and turned back to his other side.

His eyes were inexpressive, a fact that shocked Satoshi to the core.

"I don't hate you, Hikari-kun."

Pulling himself together, Satoshi forged on with his questions. "Then why are you acting like this?"

"I'm not acting. This is me."

"No, it's not."

Daisuke suddenly adorned a wistful expression. "There are many sides of me that you haven't met yet, Hikari-kun."

Satoshi fought back with a bitter glare. "Don't try to cover up the truth with your dead-end statements, Daisuke. It doesn't work on me anymore. You hate me, don't you?"

"I need my rest, Hikari-kun. I deserve it. It's already well past eleven o'clock and I am tired of today's nonsense." Daisuke's tone was sharp and frosty as he flattened himself on the bed and closed his eyes.

"And I am _sick_ of the nonsensical lies _you're_ giving _me_." Satoshi spat. He placed the bowl of mashed potatoes on the side table.

"At least… _at the very least_, even if you hate me… please do not harm yourself." He tapped the edge of the bowl with the spoon, implying that Daisuke should eat the food before he goes to sleep.

And the door closed with a soft click.

_.o.o._

That was one heck of a long day, wasn't it? I had completely forgotten the time placement in the story. Gomen nasai, minna! I will keep a watchful eye over everything from now on.


	11. Don't Cry

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

A distant chatter between the hospital staff called him to consciousness as Satoshi opened his eyes rather groggily. The teenager sat up and observed his surroundings.

Oh, yes. He had been permitted to use a couch in the Patient's Lounge as a bed.

Satoshi stayed still in his sitting position, dazedly waiting for the effects of his extremely low blood pressure to wither away slowly.

_Half an hour later_…

Now fully awake, Satoshi folded the blankets he was given and handed it to the nurse at the reception. She helped to change his bandages again, but this time with just one bottle of anti-bacterium. The wound was healing rather nicely, and in a few days, it would not need the protection of the bandages any longer… said the nurse.

Satoshi wandered to a public phone fixed to a wall near to Daisuke's ward. He called up his driver and asked him to look over Kvar until he returns. The driver was startled of his request, but agreed to help anyway.

The commander went into Daisuke's room quietly, conscious of the sleeping state of the younger teenager. Daisuke looked so peaceful in his sleep, Satoshi thought, smiling faintly.

He picked up an empty bowl from the side table, and gave it to a random passing nurse outside. He was grateful that Daisuke ate his medication, although the commander was not sure whether the boy had realized that he's being treated with his medicine secretly.

Sitting beside the bed, Satoshi brushed away a few strands of Daisuke's red-hued hair that were previously resting on top of his eyelids. Serenely, the seventeen-year-old took in the beautiful sight that was his only love, breathing slowly and softly in his bed.

Satoshi wiped away the faint traces of tears from the corners of Daisuke's eyes, saddening at the fact that he could do nothing to comfort him at his time of great need. Being inexperienced in feelings of the adoring kind, Satoshi was unable to handle the state of affairs that Daisuke was currently drowning in, unable to give the boy a sense of security, unable to protect him. He never received love before Daisuke came into his life. He didn't even believe that such a thing will ever exist for a brick pillar like him. But Daisuke proved him wrong, and he was glad the boy did.

"I'm sorry, Daisuke… I am unable to return the favour you did me…" He said to the slumbering figure, holding the boy's petite hands tenderly in his own callous ones. He kissed it out of the blue, briefly and soundlessly, right on Daisuke's knuckles. He thought that Daisuke responded by gripping his hand tightly, but it was so quick that Satoshi thought it must be a reaction from a dream.

He gently laid Daisuke's hand back at his sides, and stood up. He left to visit Dark in the ICU unit, with a last glance back to make sure that his Daisuke was safely tucked in and sleeping.

After he left, Daisuke opened his eyes and touched the spot on his hand where Satoshi had kissed him.

"Oh… Satoshi…"

_.o.o._

"Hey, creepy boy!" Dark cheerily hailed, lifting his good arm to his forehead in a salute. Satoshi gave his weak glare. Dark noticed this and raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? No biting retorts?" He asked worriedly, staring at the commander, who sat on a chair, his shoulders sagging. The thief ordered the nurse to leave hastily.

"What's the matter with _you_?" Dark questioned again, raising his bed so that he would have to stretch his neck to look at the commander.

Satoshi sighed, confiding his problems to Dark. That kinda scared him a bit, how his nemesis suddenly became his confidant, but he guessed that all the help Dark's given him in recovering Daisuke had something to do with it. "…There's something wrong with Daisuke."

"Dai-chan?" Dark's ears perked at the mention of his charge.

"He lost his appetite yesterday. His eyes were empty. And he behaved very strangely when I tried to touch him."

"He rejected you?"

"Yes."

"_You_?"

"…Are you _deaf_?"

Dark fell into silence. Sighing, he brought his left thumb and forefinger to his chin. His right arm was in a sling, so he didn't even try to move it.

"It's probably my fault. Partly."

Satoshi stared hard at the man on the bed. "What do you mean by that?"

"Remember the last time you came to visit me? And I mentioned Krad's sick fantasies…? I think Daisuke had flashbacks."

"Flashbacks?"

"Yeah, like when… they… you know…" Dark made signs to emphasize his point.

"…Krad must've done something very painful to Dai-chan, and he was reminded of it." He finished.

"You mean… like leaving a mark?"

"Exactly."

Satoshi remembered an incident from last night where Daisuke covered a purplish-blue mark.

"Excuse me, Dark." The commander literally flew out of his chair and ran out of the ICU unit.

Dark wheezed. "Ah, forgot to tell him to bring fruits next time."

_.o.o._

Daisuke rubbed the spot where Krad sucked on his skin. The mark was disappearing. The boy sighed, returning to his train of thoughts.

Krad had wanted to bring him away. Travelling. Although he wasn't sure that was the right word for it. If you go somewhere with someone who raped you, what's that called? Abduction? But Krad didn't force him to go.

Deep down, he didn't want to anyway. The feeling of insecurity towards the blond still haunts him.

Then again, he was scared to stay. Satoshi had been angry yesterday. And it made Daisuke's heart tighten when Satoshi said what he said that morning. In short he was unsure of what to do. A part of him wanted to run away with Krad, but the other part kept him back.

But more importantly, he couldn't leave Satoshi after all the commander had done for him. That would be rude.

Satoshi entered the room panting. He pulled the collar of the sweatshirt the smaller teenager was wearing. Daisuke winced.

The mark was in plain sight.

"Daisuke… how can he do this to you?" The commander whispered shakily, looking directly into Daisuke's eyes.

The boy was too sad to reply. He didn't want Satoshi to see what Krad's ministrations had done to his body. He was afraid that Satoshi would break down like he did yesterday. He couldn't bear to look at Satoshi's guilt-filled eyes again. So he looked away.

"Daisuke… I love you, yet still I cannot protect you from that monster…" Satoshi started to cry again, for the umpteenth time in two days. Daisuke instinctively reached out and embraced the older teenager, urged by an invisible sensation deep inside himself that screams of pain whenever Satoshi's eyes were drenched with tears.

"No, Satoshi… don't cry… I'm so sorry for hiding it from you… the truth is, I was scared of the way you would react. I kept imagining that you would hate me and despise me, and you would be the cold, insensitive person you started as before I met you, and you would adopt those sad eyes again… so I thought, 'Why not make him hate me _now_?' So I worked on that, and I allowed Krad to conquer my body like he did in an effort to try and break away from you, and forget you… but I guess…" Daisuke gripped the strands of Satoshi's hair tighter, inhaling a much-needed intake of breath.

"…I guess my love for you is too strong…" He said shyly, hiding his face in Satoshi's shirt.

Satoshi slowly pushed Daisuke away, and stared.

"…What did you say?"

They looked at each other for quite a long time, Satoshi's hands gripping Daisuke's shoulders and the boy holding on tightly to his shirt. Seconds ticked by, and the nurse who came in with the food walked immediately backwards out of the door on sight of the two teenagers. She must have suffered from homophobia or something.

"…I love you, Satoshi. I really, really, reall-"

Satoshi silenced him with a kiss. Not a very deep one, but enough to leave Daisuke breathless at the end.

Daisuke smiled his usual adorable smile. "So don't cry anymore, okay?" Satoshi hurriedly wiped his tears away and gave Daisuke a tight hug.

"I won't cry anymore. Not if it makes you sad. Never." The commander vowed, stroking Daisuke's back. The red-haired teenager sighed contentedly.

"Thank you, Satoshi. And sorry for making you worry so much."

Satoshi shook Daisuke's body a little. "Be quiet, you dolt. Just be quiet, okay…?" He said, and although the command was rather harshly put, his voice was heavy with relief and oozing with affection.

And so Daisuke happily obliged, revelling in the warmth of his partner and the silence that blanketed them, peacefully drifting off to sleep in Satoshi's protective hold.

_.o.o._


	12. A Day In A Million

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_.o.o._

"Daisuke, wake up." Satoshi nudged the boy lying beside him, smirking. Daisuke groaned in his sleep and clawed at Satoshi's face drowsily, his eyes still closed. The commander grabbed his hand and bit it, earning a yelp from the crimson-haired boy.

"Satoshi!" Daisuke snarled, rubbing the bitten spot on his forefinger. He rubbed his eyes and frowned at the bowl of mashed potatoes in Satoshi's hand.

"Not mashed potatoes again…" He whined, going back to sleep. Satoshi pinched his nose. Daisuke yelped again.

"Come on, Daisuke. You need to eat this." Satoshi said calmly, shoving the bowl in front of Daisuke's face like the nurse did the night before. The sixteen-year-old boy grumbled something along the lines of "I don't want to!" into the pillow.

Satoshi's smirk grew even wider. He leaned down and whispered into Daisuke's ear. "…Or do you want me to spoon-feed you?"

Daisuke twisted to face Satoshi from the depths of his pillow, grinning. "That would be nice."

The smirk on Satoshi's face disappeared straight away. "Don't be such a baby. Eat it yourself."

"Aww… please, Satoshi?"

"No."

"Pleeeease?"

"No."

"Pretty pretty please?"

"No."

"Plea-"

"_Alright_! I'll spoon-feed you! Sheesh." Satoshi rolled his eyes, mixing the contents of the bowl with a spoon. He scooped up a spoonful of mashed potatoes and signalled for Daisuke to raise his bed. The boy did so, and was rewarded with a mouthful of mashed potatoes.

"You're good at spoon-feeding people, Satoshi." Daisuke commented after swallowing the load in his mouth. Satoshi grunted.

"Just don't get used to it."

Daisuke smiled. He sidled up to his partner, who was sitting on a chair, and leaned against him. Satoshi gave him another spoon of mashed potatoes.

"Satoshi…?"

"What?"

"I'm cold."

"…Use the blankets."

Daisuke pouted, annoyed that the hint he gave didn't reach the commander. What he didn't know was that it did. Satoshi understood fully what he meant. He's just waiting for the smaller boy to come right out and say it. The blue-haired seventeen-year-old fed Daisuke another spoonful.

"The blankets are too thin."

"Then call the nurse for a duvet."

"Satoshi!"

"What…?" Satoshi raised an inquisitive eyebrow.

Daisuke patted the empty space on the bed, directly beside him. "Sit here."

Satoshi quietly complied, slipping into the blankets as he gave Daisuke another spoonful. The boy leaned against him like a cat.

"Is it just my instincts or you're overfeeding me?" Daisuke asked doubtfully, looking into the half-empty bowl.

"You missed your breakfast and lunch. So they told me to give you extra."

"Oh? What time is it now?"

"Seven in the evening."

"Whoa! I slept for that long!"

Satoshi nodded, feeding Daisuke another spoonful. He wiped off a bit of potato from Daisuke's lips with his thumb.

"I love you, Satoshi." Daisuke exclaimed softly, resting against Satoshi's arm. The commander's eyes small smile reached his ocean blue eyes. He snaked his arms around Daisuke's two shoulders and brought the boy closer to his chest. Daisuke could hear his heart beating steadily in its place.

"I know you do." Satoshi replied simply, burying his face in Daisuke's red hair. After a few seconds, he lifted his head to give Daisuke another spoonful.

Daisuke mocked a sob. "I'm starting to develop a phobia towards mashed potatoes."

Satoshi cocked an eyebrow playfully. "Mashedpotatophobia? That's a new one." Daisuke rolled his eyes.

"It's not funny, Satoshi. I even dream about those things."

"Oh? You don't dream of me?" Satoshi feigned hurt.

"More than I ever do, actually. I'm finding it hard to keep you out of my dreams. You're _always_ there." Daisuke waved his fingers in the air. Satoshi laughed shortly.

"Well, I am a very sudden person."

"What's that mean?"

"Nothing for you to worry about." Satoshi assured, kissing his love very briefly on the lips.

Satisfied, Daisuke returned to making himself comfy in Satoshi's arms. They stayed quiet for a few minutes while Satoshi fed Daisuke the last two spoonfuls of his medication. He placed the bowl on the side table before allowing Daisuke to snuggle up to him. God, how he loved the feel of Daisuke in his arms…

"Daisuke?"

"Hmmm?"

"Am I correct in assuming that you're from the Azumano region?"

Daisuke's ears twitched at the name of his hometown. "Yes… how did you know that?"

"I recognize the accent. I'm from Azumano too."

Satoshi smiled as Daisuke gasped in awe. "Cool! I didn't know that! Which district do you live in, Satoshi?"

"The Bluehill Boulevard."

Daisuke gasped again. "Hey, isn't that a luxurious apartment complex!"

"Yes."

"You must be very rich, Satoshi!"

"No, my dad's rich. _I'm_ not."

"…Well, you're certainly rich in something."

Satoshi looked at Daisuke inquiringly. The sixteen-year-old boy smiled delicately as his fist tightened on Satoshi's shirt.

"You're rich in love."

Daisuke chuckled as Satoshi gripped his waist and pulled his head towards him. The commander conquered his lips for a brief moment, before pulling away.

"…Sorry."

"What for?"

"For kissing you so suddenly." Satoshi looked bashful and guilty at the same time. Daisuke shook his head violently.

"I… rather like it, actually." The red-haired boy said shyly, scratching the back of his head. Satoshi pulled the boy's hand and placed it back into the position it was before: around his stomach.

"Stay there." And in a hoarse whisper, "…Please."

So Daisuke moved naught, encased safely in Satoshi's arms.

_.o.o._

I just wanna point out that _that _is the second time Daisuke went to sleep in Satoshi's arms. In a row. Well, I _am_ a very lovey-dovey person… you might have noticed that this is the first uneventful, light chapter in this story of late. I just thought that I'd give space for you guys to let off some steam and break off a while from all the soap-opera-like tension (ahaha!).

Thanks _so much_ to those of you who reviewed! I loved your reviews, and I am deeply grateful that you spared some of your time to comment on my story! I know how hard and boring it is to click on that 'Go' button and type up a review (I **know, **'cause I reviewed a lot in my old days, when I read a lot of fics), so my **_highest _**thanks to my readers and reviewers! I'll continue writing with my best effort for you guys!

See you in the next chapter!


	13. The Truth

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

**_Eheh… I just bought DNAngel Volume 9, and was pleasantly… okay, so I was screaming my head off when I discovered that Rio Hikari was a woman. DAMN! I thought he was a GUY! Ahem. So now I've carefully checked over my chapters and changed 'him', 'his', 'he' and 'father' to 'her', 'hers', 'she' and 'mother'. I hope I got everything revised thoroughly…_**

**_And FYI, this chapter, which took a heck of a long time to write, is lengthy, confusing and CHOCK-FULL of information. So get ready for some gruesome, intricate web of informative network…_**

_.o.o._

"…Krad-sama is here to see you, tono." The butler announced, picking the empty cup of coffee on the table beside the door and putting it on his tray.

Kei clicked his pen as he stared at the paper in his hand. "Nn? Well, ask him to wait in the lounge. I'll be there in a minute. Oh, and prepare a bottle of whisky for him, and some port for me, won't you, Watanubi?" Watanubi, the butler, nodded before leaving.

The commissioner sighed lightly and tapped his pen to his chin. "I wonder… when will Satoshi-chan return…?" He smiled wickedly.

_.o.o._

Satoshi studied the cross in his hand closely. For something he estimated was about three to four hundred years old, it appeared remarkably untouched. Made entirely of silver, sleek in design, and strangely light in weight, it gave off a peculiar radiance - an aura – that he was mysteriously familiar with, in an occult kind of way…

He deduced, quite ambitiously, that it was probably uncovered from a sealed off ruin - one that had been inaccessible for hundreds of years - somewhere and sold in an auction. But an item of this quality would've cost millions at the most.

Then came his second deduction. What if Krad had inherited it? Like a family heirloom?

If it's a family heirloom… then… Satoshi thought very carefully. Krad has been calling him young master as of late… as if he was higher in terms of social rank than the blond. And since Krad was working with his 'father', who in turn, he heard, had tight connections with his real mother, Rio Hikari, fourteen years ago… well, it might be a far-fetched theory as of now, but…

He might have a full right over the silver cross resting in his hand.

The commander dismissed the theory and returned to his thoughts. Daisuke stirred sleepily from his position on Satoshi's chest approximately five minutes later, rubbing his eyes and yawning. Satoshi smiled down at him.

"Did you sleep well, Daisuke?" He asked gently, massaging Daisuke's shoulders. The boy yawned again.

"Yup… you were warm. Comfortingly warm…" He muttered drowsily, his eyelids fluttering as he fought his sleepiness.

"I'm glad to hear that, love." Satoshi said back, hauling the boy further up his chest as if he was a teddy bear. Daisuke fidgeted restlessly.

"What's wrong?" Satoshi asked, alarmed. Daisuke tried to lift Satoshi's arm off of his chest.

"Umm… Satoshi, can you let me go for a moment?"

"No." Satoshi teased, smirking.

"Satoshi…!"

"I'm never going to let you out of my sight ever again."

"That's so sweet of you, Satoshi… but I _really_ need the toilet!"

Satoshi released the boy with a sweatdrop.

_.o.o._

Krad poured himself a glass of whisky and walked over to the row of huge windows at the side of the room. Funny, he thought. This place hasn't changed a little bit…

Since he came back from the hospital Niwa-kun was stationed at, he's been thinking. About a lot of things, but mostly, he was contemplating on his actions in the duration of the past week.

What had been his reason to violate the red-haired angel, he wasn't sure. His thoughts clouded over every time he tried to remember why. He was searching… searching in his memories to find what had driven him to do such a horrible act. Love kept slipping out of his hands, so it had to be something else. Something that struck him as incredibly powerful, but internally rotten. Something that had _controlled_ his mind, his body - while his soul was screaming for him to let go.

Although, that did not matter anymore to him. What was important was that he had lied to Niwa-kun. Lied about his love. Even though he swore it was true… he had not loved Niwa-kun _then_. The feeling only grew when they were apart, and somehow he's got the time mixed up.

Krad cupped his free hand to his forehead, rubbing the creases as his eyebrows slanted. He swept his bangs back, taking a sip of the whisky.

…Love… it's such a fragile little thing.

_.o.o._

Emerging from the bathroom, Daisuke pulled his sweatpants more securely around his waist, ears twitching as he heard a nurse talking to Satoshi.

"…Thanks to you, he's recovering so quickly, it's almost miracle."

"No, it's the medicine that did all the work."

"That may be true, but if you hadn't convinced Niwa-san to eat those medicated mashed potatoes he would have been critically ill; more so if he had refused to eat anything altogether. We thank you for that."

"It's nothing. I thank _you_ for allowing me to stay beside him."

"That's just because we can't contact Niwa-san's parents, and you're the only person around that was liable to accompany him. So we _had_ to let you stay, even if it meant tweaking the rules a bit." The nurse laughed.

"Ah yes, Doctor Ikewa is out on a sudden emergency rescue mission, but he left you a message. He said that Niwa-san should be able to leave in a few days."

"That's great news. Thank you." Satoshi's voice was heavily layered with relief.

"We're all happy for Niwa-san. We know that we've been very slow in our check-ups these few days; forgive us. Well, if you could excuse me…" The nurse bowed and left, Satoshi closing the door behind her.

"…Those mashed potatoes were medicated?" Daisuke whispered, sounding very hurt. Satoshi jumped and turned around on his heels.

"Daisuke! You surprised me." Daisuke blinked at that.

"I've been standing here for quite some time." He looked at Satoshi with an expression that clearly says 'you-didn't-see-lil'-ol'-me-?'

Satoshi coughed. "S-Sorry. I didn't notice you were done." He took a step closer to Daisuke, wrapping his arms around the boy's waist, reaching the back to tug a section of the hospital robe that was hitched up, stuck in Daisuke's sweatpants. The sixteen-year-old boy muttered a timid thanks.

"…So… the potatoes were… drugged."

"Not really. Look, Daisuke, it was for your own good. You hated taking medicine directly, so the mashed potatoes were a good idea, don't you think?" Satoshi rubbed his neck and looked at the ceiling, evading Daisuke's eyes.

The sixteen-year-old boy was close to tears. "B-But I f-f-felt s-sick from e-eating those p-p-potatoes e-everyday!" He sobbed, trying to brush away his sudden shower of tears hastily, but to no avail.

"O-Oi… Daisuke…!" Satoshi hesitantly bent down a little to wipe away a few tears. Daisuke wailed, shaking Satoshi's hand away.

"H-H-How could you, Satoshi!" He sobbed again, but not resisting this time as Satoshi hugged him very closely.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry… I should have given you a more varied diet. I'm really sorry, Daisuke…" The commander stroked his back soothingly, earnestly apologetic.

Daisuke snuggled into Satoshi's warmth almost automatically, even though he was still upset at the older boy. "…Giant…" His voice was muffled in Satoshi's shirt.

"Huh?" The blue-haired boy tried to push Daisuke away to look at his face, but Daisuke tugged at his shirt, forcing him to stay where he is.

"I dreamt… about… giant… flesh-eating… mashed potato blobs… last night…"

Satoshi sweatdropped as a kind of humorous silence covered them both. "…A-Aa…" He replied not-so-intelligently after a brief minute.

"They were trying to… e-eat… _you_…………" Daisuke mumbled, taking no notice of the commander's lacking feedback. His fist tightened around clumps of Satoshi's shirt.

"Eat… me?" The commander's expression turned suspicious, then amused, before the teenager sputtered a full-fledged laugh. Daisuke pouted at him, sniffling.

Now what made Satoshi think that the whole ordeal was _funny_!

"It's not funny! …There was b-blood all over… like in the Harada cabin…" Daisuke started to cry with renewed tears. Satoshi immediately halted laughing, knowing that the Harada twins were a painful subject for his love to remember. Feeling quite awkward and troubled, the commander gathered the boy into his arms yet again.

"Shhh… shhh… there, there now. There won't be any giant mashed potato blobs trying to eat me in the real world, Daisuke, but I'll keep an eye out for them… for your sake." Daisuke_ had_ to laugh, despite the fact that he was hiccupping in his tears.

"AND! As a compensation for torturing you with _mashed potatoes_ the last few days," Satoshi allowed himself to grin a bit at Daisuke's irritated expression and puffed out cheeks before continuing on, "…I'll treat you to ice-cream."

Daisuke's face expression relaxed into one of pure delight. He bounced on his toes, his tears ceased in their flow. "W-What? _Really_!"

"If you hurry up, it'll be vanilla and strawberry."

In a storm of dust, Daisuke was gone. Satoshi shook his head. Mashed potato blobs… really, he should get Daisuke out of this hospital soon before the boy gets transferred to a mental institute instead.

Satoshi rolled his eyes at his lame jokes and leisurely followed after Daisuke.

_.o.o._

"Krad." Kei nodded at the blond, his hands closing the doors behind him. Krad gave the commissioner a kind of measuring look, searching for something that he felt was different about the man since they last met.

The commissioner had accumulated an extensive amount of unfamiliar energy in him. A strange, wicked energy, the kind that Krad knew immediately he wouldn't like. The blond studied the commissioner thoroughly for a few minutes before Kei broke out a small smile.

"I'm glad to see you again, Krad. I expect only good news when you come and visit me personally." He wandered over to the decanter on the table and tipped a small volume of port into a wine glass. He offered it to Krad, who refused.

Kei took a sip and licked his lips. "Good old port. Putting that aside… what is the status of the mission, Krad? Have you disposed of the tool?"

Krad visibly stiffened. He could not bring himself to say that he'd fallen in love with the 'tool' during the course of his mission. A 'tool' that had aroused within him a desire that he thought was long gone. A 'tool' that had melted the ice walls encasing his dying heart in a way that defied the laws of chemistry and logic. A 'tool' that had ruthlessly attacked his emotions, whipping them into such a frenzy that they scatter – unorganized and, to an extent, unbalanced.

He wanted Daisuke Niwa to _live_. He wanted that 'tool' to live the life he missed out. To fully savour the delicacies life has prepared in its kitchen. To always stay protected in that fragile shell of innocence.

_To be loved_.

But…

"I… can't bring myself to do it." He was certain, absolutely certain, that it was the first time he was unable to finish a mission he was assigned to by Kei. In all the ten years of his service, Krad had never performed a single mishap. He carried out his orders dutifully and coldly, like an unwavering snowstorm riddled and burdened with the weight of fear.

Fear. _Fear _that if he disobeys his master's commands, the one he treasured would be taken away from him. He was scared that Satoshi would be taken away from him.

The boy he had risked everything for.

He still remembers the day Rio Hikari slumped in front of him, lifeless and bloody. He had killed her for Satoshi, robbed her of her ray of light until she was blanketed by darkness. He had wanted Satoshi since he saw the baby crying in his cold cot. He wanted to embrace the boy in his warmth, how limited it was. Back then, he wanted Satoshi to have the same things he wished Niwa-kun would have now. A life the boy would be proud of, a life he would remember, a life he could shamelessly laugh about without any regrets.

He failed.

Deprived from his mother's nutritional milk and special care, Satoshi withered in front of Krad's eyes. Every day the boy cried without tears. No amount of medical attention could restore him at that point. Krad reluctantly gave up, giving the baby a premature burial, lowering the small, dying body into a hole he dug himself. The snow had been unforgiving that day. It fell around him in thick wisps. He left the baby crying in the hole in the snow, knowing full well that nature will take its course on the wilting life.

His own life plummeted from that point onwards. He went to become a kind of modern mercenary, going around in the circles of the rich, satisfying their demands for blood and vengeance, simply because he had a revenge of his own; a revenge he owed to himself for neglecting Satoshi. Of course, it was a revenge he could never settle, and he had nearly killed himself thinking about it.

He met Kei Hiwatari - who was a commander back then - at a social gathering for the upper-class ten years ago, seven years after he had left Satoshi crying in the snow. One of his clients had offered him an invitation to the gathering, allowing him to mark his next target. Instead he found seven-year-old Satoshi crying in a corner, huddling near a potted plant. He recognized the boy immediately, for he had left a lot of scars on the boy's wrists in his attempts to kill the boy when he was a baby, and somehow the scars had remained. The image of a blue crop of hair and a pair of teary sapphire eyes burned in his mind, and he wasted no time in approaching the toddler, all the while contemplating on how exactly did the boy escaped the clutches of nature.

"…_Satoshi…?"_ He had remembered calling. The boy had looked up, crying profusely. Obviously he knew his own name from the way Krad had marked him with his name on his right shoulder. It was one of the blonde's reactions to the dominant thoughts of losing the boy that had prompted him to do it. He was afraid that the boy would forget his own name, and thus forget _him_ totally, hence the mark.

"_What's wrong, Satoshi?"_

"…_Father hit me." _The three-year-old sobbed, rubbing his head where a swelling could be seen. Krad was alarmed at the mention of a father figure, spying around cautiously for any prying eyes. There was none.

"_I'll make it better. Come on." _Krad persuaded, hoping that the boy would be a fool for once and accept.

"_I can't. Father will hit me again."_

"…_Then I'll hit him back." _Swiftly, Krad led the boy gently, bringing him outside to an unoccupied balcony. Satoshi didn't seem to protest.

"_Who are you, sir?" _Something stung in Krad's heart. Just how strict was this father figure to force the boy into saying 'sir' at such an early age?

"_I'm your… friend from a long, long time ago."_

"_I can't remember you, sir. I apologize, sir."_

"_It's alright. I don't suppose you could." _Krad crouched beside the boy on the marble-slated floor and held him close.

"_How old are you, Satoshi?"_

"_Seven and a quarter, sir. Seven and a half next month."_

"_You're quite a big boy, aren't you?"_

"_Thank you, sir." _There was a soft blush on his pale cheeks. Krad noticed and fixed the boy's crooked bowtie. He smiled as Satoshi checked the state of his bowtie, noting how tidier it appeared to be, compared to before.

"_Thank you again, sir."_

"_It's nothing. I don't suppose you tied that up all by yourself, did you?"_

"_I did, sir. I know it's terrible-looking, but I'm practicing and I seem to have gotten a hang of it… sir."_

"_That's impressive, Satoshi. You're very intelligent." _Like his mother, Krad had remembered in quiet remorse.

Satoshi bowed gratefully, his blue bangs hanging over his face.

"_Thank you kindly, sir."_

"…_If you don't mind me stating, Satoshi, I suppose that your surroga- I mean, father, is immensely proud of you?"_

The boy seemed to sadden quite a bit. He started to fidget. Krad observed him with silent expectations.

"_My father is too busy with his work as the commander to- ahh… umm…"_

"_To…?"_

"_Forgive me, sir. I could not continue my sentence. It would have been rude of me to do so. I sincerely apologize for disappointing you, sir. Really, sir."_

"_No matter, Satoshi. Say anything that you feel comfortable saying, child. You have a good life ahead of you…" _Krad tucked Satoshi's long locks behind the boy's ears.

"…_I hope."_

"…_Satoshi!" _A gruff voice called as a man appeared from inside the hall. Kei Hiwatari stared at Krad judiciously.

"_Oh – hello."_

"…_Evening, commander."_

"_If you could excuse me for just one moment..."_ Kei tugged on Satoshi's arm harshly, jerking him into the hall, and whispering sharp words to the boy. Satoshi nodded obediently, before running off.

Kei returned to Krad with a grin on his face. _"Kids. You have to dictate them before they even listen to you." _The commander (Kei) laughed, but Krad did not laugh with him. He simply stared.

"_I trust that Satoshi there was your son?"_

Kei seemed a little taken aback. _"Why - yes. From my previous marriage, of course."_

Krad smirked, knowing full well the commander was lying through his pearly, hypocritical teeth.

"_How is it if I offer you my services, in exchange for being close to the boy, commander? Hmm?"_

"_Services? What kind, my I ask, Mr…?"_

"_Krad. Simply Krad."_

"_Ah, yes, Krad. Aren't you an associate of Duke Heinwellquier of France?"_

Krad's face darkened, quite in contrast with his current line of work… if you could even call it that. He pushed himself up and leaned against the railings of the balcony, gazing lazily at the dim shades of the moon, perched high in the sky.

"_In a way, yes."_

Kei gave him an understanding nod. _"…I see. So you're one of those."_

"_Yes, I am. And I persuade you to diminish your internal proposals to arrest me, commander, as I am more capable that any other nightvengers you've ever met in your profession."_

Kei advanced one step forward towards the homicidal blond. _"Nightvengers… a group of outcasts calling themselves the 'modern mercenaries', often working for the richer ranks in the society ring. Their force imitated a tidal wave, their honed skills a deadly adversary. They burn like fire in the night, slaying whoever they are commanded to slay like underdogs of Satan. Nothing, no-one could protest their will and their way, for doing so only attracts death's sharp reaper."_

"_Quite accurate, commander. We kill only to support ourselves. And we need a lot of support to sharpen our lifestyle."_

"…_I have a use for a nightvenger like you."_

"_Oh? Then please entail your situation, commander. I'll lend an ear…"_

And that was how he ended up working so diligently for Kei, all in exchange for being close to Satoshi. So that he could watch over the boy as he grew, although he was forced, in more times than one, to think of how it would have been if Rio Hikari was still alive, raising Satoshi herself…

Gradually, as Satoshi grew more and more into an upright young man, Krad began to think about the past. He remembered how bright Rio's eyes were when she conceived baby Satoshi. How her smile shone when she cradled the boy in her arms. How melodious her laughter was when she heard Satoshi gurgle happily in his cot.

Then the blond started to regret that past. He wished that he had let Rio live. Live to see her son working so hard to achieve the 'commander' rank. It would have certainly made her very proud, like how Krad was when he found out that Satoshi _did_ manage to pass his qualifications. Suddenly it opened to him that killing Rio Hikari was a mistake after all. A morbid mistake. And that scared him.

When it hit him, Krad started to make up for his guilt. He commemorated Rio's death on the first day of snowfall of each year, clearly remembering that on the day he killed Rio, the first snowflake had floated down and dissolved into her pooling blood. On those undecided snowfall days, he wore the traditional Hikari robes, of which he inherited from his uncle. In relations, he had a little of the Hikari blood in him, but he was not as pure as Satoshi, who had really taken over the full package of the family magic. Nevertheless, Krad was forced by the main family to use his unparalleled art skills to paint artworks so that the Hikari could seal their excess magic from them. These seals will be undone when their contained magic is needed.

And such was Krad's fate. One would say that he was jealous of Satoshi's concealed powers, but in reality – even if to a small extent - he was protecting the boy from greedy hands – hands that craved the Hikari magic for themselves.

As Satoshi was, and still is, the only key to unlocking the magic seals on Krad's artworks.

"Krad. Answer me." Kei commanded roughly, glaring hard at the figure beside the window. Krad jerked out of his thoughts and looked at Kei with a confused gaze.

"Hiwatari-sama?"

"I want you to kill Daisuke Niwa. He's our main target. Without him, Satoshi would be powerless to resist my orders. And then…"

Kei chuckled dangerously. Krad gave him a weary look. "No."

"…W-What?"

"No."

A wine glass shattered through the window, dangerously close Krad's head. The blond quickly reached out and grasped an invisible chain. He tugged at it.

Something popped out of Kei's pocket and landed in Krad's ready hand.

It was a silver emblem depicting a snake with a crystallized fang. Krad smirked and swung the item by its invisible chain like a pendulum, taunting Kei.

"How clever, commissioner. You controlled me with this clever little contraption, didn't you?"

Kei appeared to be slightly perturbed. It seems that Krad struck a bulls-eye. The nightvenger held the silver snake up to the light coming from the hole in the broken window. He smiled vaguely in reminiscence.

"The Asdetta Fang… one of my favourite Hikari seals. This one contains the magic of hypnotism and mind control, doesn't it, Kei? Of course, you knew that, or else you wouldn't have possessed me and instructed my body to do those horrible things to Niwa-kun."

Kei slumped a bit. "You are clever, Krad. I don't expect any less from a Hikari, moreover one who created the Asdetta Fang himself." The commissioner was starting to sweat.

"You also knew that the silver cross my uncle gave me had magical defensive powers, and waited until it wasn't on me to launch the Fang's magic. I see that you, too, are clever, Hiwatari."

Kei stepped closer and closer to the blond, a suspicious movement that did not escape Krad's sharp eye, but he doubted it naught.

"How long have you waited for that chance, Hiwatari? Months? Years?"

"I've waited for it for nearly two decades, Krad. From the moment I knew that the legendary Hikari family had an heir, I dreamt about the Hikari's powers, and how I could make it mine, and what I would do with it."

Suddenly, with a move so fast that even Krad missed it; Kei stabbed the blond in his stomach with a knife laced with magic. Krad sputtered blood almost immediately, his eyes wide with shock and anger.

"And I had the most wonderful stroke of luck! I found the heir shivering in the cold, just waiting for me to take him. And take him I did. He was affected by the cold, of course, but his general health was relatively okay. I raised him so that I could reap his magic. That's the truth, Krad. Now that you know it, what will you do…?"

Lying faint on the ground, Krad coughed up more blood before drifting off into darkness.

_.o.o._

_I'm so sorry this took SOOOOOO long to upload, but I was overly busy with school and didn't have time to type much. I'm going to get my fourth year preliminary exams sometime in the end of November or the start of December, so I'll be fretting and worrying all the way, but I'll try to squeeze in a bit of typing in between._

_So, you must have noticed that I've put out my own version of the Hikari family's… uhh… story (it was confusing, no doubt). Sorry, I can't seem to find any better word for it… if you didn't understand a thing, leave me a line in a review and I'll do my best to explain anything you're not sure about._

…_Geez, I sound very much like my maths teacher…_


	14. His Return

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_To **DanyChic**_

_-- I apologize for the confusion! Krad loves Satoshi like a father and he loves Daisuke as a partner, but, as he did for Satoshi ten years ago, he wished that Daisuke would be happy in his life (something that is already in motion) and deeply regrets his actions last week (I hope you remember what they are xD)._

_To **siverrain**_

_-- Yeah. I was like, "NOOOOOOOOOOOO!" when I read that '…Satoshi never came back to school again.' Oh, why, why must the bishiefulness end so soon! I know Krad's an ass but he's still one hot bish! x(_

**_Again, may I remind you that I'm open to comments, so if you have anything that you think I am wrong about, grammar or facts or anything, just tell me! I WON'T say something stupid like 'Flames will be laughed at' or something like that, because a writer feeds on feedback, right? So don't be shy to say that I'm wrong, I'm not going to retort with anything bad._**

_**Relax and take your time reading Chapter 14!**_

_.o.o._

Daisuke licked the bits of ice-cream on his spoon, shivering with excitement. He dug the spoon again into the cup and shovelled out a huge chuck of ice-cream. Grinning to himself, he jammed the icy dessert into his mouth and moaned in pleasure.

"You're taking it way too far, Daisuke." Satoshi said with a sigh, watching as the boy sitting across him practically attacked the ice-cream cup.

"It tastes _so _good! I'm so happy that you bought me this, Satoshi. Vanilla and strawberry - my favourite!" Daisuke proclaimed, licking his lips and going in for another spoonful.

"It's just ice-cream. Calm down."

"But I hadn't eaten ice-cream since… since… well, it's certainly been a long time since I've seen a cup of ice-cream!"

Satoshi shook his head, leaned back and crossed his arm. He took off his glasses and folded them, placing them quietly on the table. Daisuke looked at him as he rubbed the area between his two eyebrows, as if he's having a headache.

"Satoshi… what's wrong?" Daisuke asked compassionately, putting down his spoon and staring hard at the commander. Satoshi had his eyes closed at the moment.

"Hmmm?"

"You're rubbing your temples. Are you having a headache?"

Satoshi opened his eyes, paused for a brief second, before smiling. He dropped his hand onto Daisuke's, and patted it reassuringly.

"No, I'm fine. Thanks for asking, Daisuke." Daisuke frowned, intertwining his finger with Satoshi's.

"Satoshi, just tell me if you're in pain or anything. I'm able enough to help you."

Satoshi chuckled. The boy certainly was very special.

He tousled Daisuke's hair affectionately with his free hand. "Thank you, Daisuke, but it's just a bit of a migraine, that's all. I'll be fine."

"Is it because you were up late last night writing in your notebook and waiting for me to go to sleep?"

Satoshi's eyes widened. Daisuke was awake?

"Ah… um…"

"Satoshi, don't do that. I know you love me, but…" Daisuke blushed before continuing, "…Try to take of yourself too, you know. I don't want you ending up in a hospital like I did."

Satoshi sighed, reaching out to caress the younger boy's cheek. "I just want to make sure nobody takes you away from me ever again." Daisuke blushed so hotly that the ice-cream in his mouth melted right away from the radiating heat.

"E-Even… even if they fly me halfway around the world… I will always, _always_ find my way back to you, Satoshi."

Something twitched in Satoshi's heart. The very idea of Daisuke not being on his side made him so frightened that his migraine worsened.

"If we weren't in the cafeteria right now, I'd kiss you." He whispered hotly to Daisuke, who blushed even harder.

"A-Anyway! What were you writing about in your notebook, Satoshi?"

The commander jerked up. Wasn't he supposed to ask Daisuke about the cross a long time ago? He hastily withdrew the item from his jacket pocket and handed it to Daisuke.

"I'm studying this by request of the investigation team of the local police force. Are you familiar with it in any way?"

Daisuke looked hard at the cross and slowly nodded. Satoshi leaned in curiously.

"This was part of a costume Krad sometimes wore. He usually ties it to the end of his hair."

"Costume?" …So Krad _does_ have a connection to Keiji's murder, after all.

"It was a white robe with a yellow cross at the front, and it looked really good on him. He said that it was a costume that someone he respected highly used to wear."

"Do you remember exactly the time when he usually wears this costume?"

"Only vaguely. He usually wears it on the first day of snowfall every year and he continues to wear it until the snow finally melts."

Satoshi wrote this in his notebook of which he had requested for from his driver (who fetched it). "Any particular reason _why_ you think he wears this particular attire?"

"Well, he once said that he was marking the anniversary of someone's death."

Satoshi looked up from his notebook. "Don't you wear something black for that?"

Daisuke shrugged. "I don't know why he wears white, really. Must be something symbolic to his past."

"That might be true." Satoshi smiled gratefully at Daisuke as he pocketed his notebook again.

"Thanks for helping me with this investigation."

"Has something happened? Is Krad in trouble?"

Satoshi stared at Daisuke, his eyebrows slanting in anger. "Is he in trouble? _Is he in trouble_? Daisuke, he raped you. And he killed a suspect of a murder case. Of course he's in trouble. A _lot_ of trouble."

Daisuke ducked his head and adopted a melancholy expression. He had finished his ice-cream and was waiting for Satoshi to drink up his black coffee. The commander did so with a thoughtful demeanour.

"…Satoshi, I need to tell you something." Daisuke said suddenly, snapping his head up. Satoshi stopped sipping his coffee and gazed back at the younger teenager. He slowly placed his cup back onto the table.

"I'm listening."

Daisuke shook his head vigorously. "Not here. Can we go back to my room?"

Satoshi seemed a bit cynical, but nodded all the same.

_.o.o._

"…What! He came!"

Daisuke cowered a little under Satoshi's shouts. He knew the commander would react to Krad's visit in this way, so he kept quiet and permitted the commander to lecture him.

"Daisuke, why didn't you tell me!"

"Well… I-I didn't want you to worry, that's all. I'm sorry, Satoshi."

Satoshi rubbed his forehead for the second time that day. "Daisuke, this is not a game! This is serious! That psycho is out to get you, and he will stop at nothing to kill you! Don't you know that!"

"Yes, I do, but…"

"'But'! Daisuke!"

Daisuke held his hand up quickly to protect him from any blows Satoshi would give him, even though he knew the blue-eyed seventeen-year-old was capping his anger. Better safe than sorry…

Satoshi sighed and joined the boy on the bed. He gently pulled Daisuke's arms from barring his face and kissed the boy soundlessly on the lips.

"Daisuke, you have to understand that I'm very, very protective of you. The last time you were taken away from me, I couldn't even sleep a blink. Did you know that?"

The red-haired boy shook his head guiltily.

"Well, I couldn't. I kept thinking of the things your kidnapper was capable of doing to you, and I couldn't sleep. These… horrid images… they haunted me, Daisuke." Satoshi embraced the boy tightly. Daisuke patted the commander's back.

"I'm sorry, Satoshi… although there is one more thing I haven't told you…"

Satoshi looked enquiringly at his love, a part of him dreading what was coming next.

"Krad's coming back to get me."

_.o.o._

"I'm the one with severe injuries here, so why don't _I _get visitors!" Dark talked to himself irately, hugely annoyed of the fact that the homeless hobo next door (with a third-degree burn to his leg) had more sympathetic visitors than he did.

Dark switched on the television with his good arm. He browsed through the channels before switching it back off, grumbling about the absence of good television in the hospital. "I feel like I've died and gone to the infamous 'Hell of Boredom' (tm)."

He glimpsed at the door, hoping desperately that it was someone bringing him fruits, but it was just the nurse. The kaitou swore silently under his breath. As the nurse fussed over him busily, he took a glance out of the window, longing for the sunlight outside.

Then he saw him.

Krad.

The blond whizzed past his window with a crazy expression on his unusually pale face. Dark panicked. The only place Krad could be heading to in that direction would be Daisuke's room!

The violet-haired man hurriedly jumped out of his bed, wincing at the pain as his recovering wounds tore open again, and the tubes and needles tugged at his skin. He screamed in agony before falling to his knees, only to leap up again determinedly, wheezing in pain. He dashed out of his room as fast as his wounds could permit, leaving the nurse hollering behind him.

He has to warn Daisuke!

_.o.o._

Satoshi gripped the green screen behind him in an effort to calm his anger. "_He what_?"

Made uneasy by the fact that Satoshi's knuckles were turning white from scrunching the screen too tightly, Daisuke fumbled with his words as he tried to say, "He didn't exactly say when he's coming back, so he might not come! Please, Satoshi, don't get mad! Please!"

But Satoshi was beyond being just 'mad'. He was going _insane_ with anger. Images of Krad touching Daisuke in ways even he had not even think of doing only served to fuel his wild temper.

Suddenly, they heard the window being smashed. Daisuke jumped up to check it before Satoshi could stop him, and as soon as the red-haired boy lifted away the screen he was grabbed by a crazed Krad. Satoshi yelled with surprise and fear, trying to advance towards them, but Krad was holding a gun under Daisuke's chin.

"Hello, Satoshi. Did you miss me?" Krad whispered, his tone almost calm. Satoshi gritted his teeth in aggravation.

"Let him go, Krad! The one you want is me, not him!"

"You're wrong. I need him, too. And then I can get _you_." Krad's voice was low and dangerous now. The blond started to back towards the window. Daisuke was trembling in his predator's arms, shaking his head secretly to Satoshi, discreetly instructing him not to follow. He was crying.

At the precise moment Krad reached the window sill, Dark burst into the room, panting heavily. It took him nearly all of his leftover strength to reach the bed, much less the window. "Krad! Don't do this! Daisuke's your pal!"

"Is he, now?" Krad pressed the mouth of the gun deeper into Daisuke's skin. A few nurses came to see what was going on, and one of them screamed blue murder. A bloodied Krad with a stomach wound holding a hysterical Daisuke captive while a helpless Satoshi frantically sought a way to grab Daisuke from Krad's arms, and a bleeding Dark clutching at the bedsheets. It was enough to send them yelling for the guards.

"Tell me this, Dark – do I look like Krad to you?" 'Krad' hinted, winking as he dramatically jumped out of the window. Satoshi darted towards the window and saw 'Krad' floating gently to the ground, a gust of wind cushioning his fall.

Dark dragged himself to Satoshi's side, growling. "That wasn't Krad, commander. It was Hiwatari."

Bitterly, Satoshi cursed and fisted his hands furiously. "How could it be him!"

"The chain he was wearing… it's called the Asdetta Fang. It's an artefact containing the magic for physical possession. Hiwatari must've tried to kill Krad and completely possess his body so that when the time comes for interrogations, any blame can be put on the possessed. I dare say, judging from his eyes - which was a mix of brown and gold - that Krad managed to live and was fighting back. Weakly, yes, but resisting."

"That cold bastard…"

Dark placed a hand on Satoshi's shoulder, feeling his energy seeping away by the second. "We'd better deal with the police first. Then, we can-"

"But Daisuke's with a psycho! Dark, I know my father well. He'll go to great lengths to get something he desires!"

"_You cheese! Do you expect to take down a full-grown man on your own!_" Dark yelled, his temper flaring. He punched Satoshi across the face with a fury that went beyond the restrictions his weakening body placed on him. The commander fell to the floor, his lips bleeding.

Dark himself fell with a thud. The last of his energy was disappearing, and he was too exhausted to care about death.

The nurses came in with the guards, but of course, by then it was too late. Dark was rushed to the emergency room, while Satoshi was given a thorough interrogation by the police.

Daisuke's trail was going out fast, but Satoshi was not going to let it die out so easily.

_.o.o._

_A… Ahah. (sweatdrops nervously) I… uh… I'm sorry? EEEK! (ducks under cover from flying computers) I'm sorry! I am so, so, SO sorry! I know this is a crap chapter, and I've made everyone hate Krad even more than usual (even though it was really HIWATARI'S fault…), but I was SO busy with school that I haven't had time to type up any GOOD chapters! My inspiration's gone blank, because I'm too nervous to face my exams… wish me luck guys, I'll sorely, sorely need it!_

_And I'll try to type faster soon! (meeps) Sorry!_

_P/S: I ABSOLUTELY LOOOOVED YOUR REVIEWS! (purrs like a cat) Have an imaginary Satoshi plushie!_

…_You KNOW you want it. (evil grin)_


	15. Lost Again

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_**Oh, yeah, as a side note, I don't know SHIT 'bout ranks in the police forces, so please be so kind as to NOT sue me if I happen to downgrade one of their positions or something. My dad said that there are no commanders in the police, only in the army, so I was like, "WTH So what's Satoshi doing then!" so don't sue me. Please. (nearly forgot the magic word there)**_

_.o.o._

The room was crowded by the time Satoshi returned from the interrogation. Forensic officers crouched on the floor, some holding swabs stained with blood, others picking samples of debris and shoeprints. A couple of police officers were present as well, questioning the nurses about the kidnapping.

Satoshi ordered a full investigation of the case, using the powers of his badge to enforce his command. The policemen obeyed immediately, and said that the local chief inspector will arrive in forty minutes. Satoshi had no time to wait. He left.

He made it a point to visit the emergency room, where Dark was hovering between life and death. The doctors were trying in vain not to panic, but their efforts were spiralling downwards into a state of meaningless meandering in death's clockwork. A nurse, who Satoshi identified as the one who had taken care of Dark since he was submitted into the hospital, was crying silently in a corner.

The commander tore his gaze away from Dark's pale, rigid face and walked on, out of the hospital and into the cold winter night. Torrents of freezing wind stabbed the side of his face with small, metaphorical needles. His jacket was barely keeping him warm, and the falling snow kept drifting into his eyes.

He missed Daisuke's warmth greatly.

Shrugging deeper into his jacket, he followed the path beside the hospital to come out at the back of the building. Staring upwards from his position on the ground, he could almost see where Krad had traversed the ledges to Daisuke's window. He had passed Dark's room, which explains how the thief knew about his coming.

Satoshi's acute gaze traced the course Hiwatari had taken after he fled. He pursued the disappearing track, stopping periodically to examine a patch of trampled grass, or a freshly overturned stone. The snow had melted in some parts, where Hiwatari had possibly ventured. There was an especially muddy part further along the path. Satoshi suspected that Daisuke had given a lot of resistance here, since there were also signs of struggling on the ground.

Was Daisuke _dropped_?

Satoshi crouched down and squinted. Something shiny was buried under the soil… it looked as if it had been deliberately shoved into the mud. Rolling up his sleeves, Satoshi tore a page from his notebook and used it to tug the article out of the ground. It slid away easily.

Daisuke's copper ankh fitted perfectly into his hand.

His eyes nearly watered. This ankh was present when he found Daisuke in the snow, a day after he first arrived at the resort. He hadn't noticed that Daisuke wore this today in particular; it was probably hidden underneath his hospital robes.

But if this was underneath his hospital robes… then… had Hiwatari undressed him to steal this ankh?

The very thought aroused familiar emotions deep within Satoshi's body. He felt anger, frustration, jealousy, disappointment… and to some extent, the vulnerability that was most probably tied to Daisuke's own fears. He fisted the ankh, not bothering to conceal his fingerprints, and stalked back to the hospital.

Something inside his heart told him that Daisuke was not as far away as he thought he would be.

_.o.o._

They've been on the road for quite some time now. Daisuke, tied and gagged, was shaking in the back seat of the car. Hiwatari was sitting at the front, comfortable in his own body. Meanwhile, Krad's figure was lying in the trunk of the car, barely alive, but alive nonetheless. Daisuke had bandaged the blonde's wound himself; Hiwatari hadn't even bothered. The red-haired boy was clearly aware of the fact that the blonde would soon die of his wounds; he had lost too much blood. They needed to get him to a hospital…

Daisuke tried to convey this message to his kidnapper, but his screams and pleads were muffled by the gag. He tried kicking the driver's seat, but Hiwatari had replied by giving him a swift slap on the head. He felt hopeless. One of his oldest friends was dying in the trunk behind him, and all he was allowed to do was to cry.

Hiwatari was smirking.

_.o.o._

The taxi driver counted the fare he was given as his passenger prepared to leave. Satisfied, he nodded to the person and started his Honda again, pleased with the purring noise of the engine. His foot was already on the accelerators when he noticed, with a reasonable amount of shock, that something white and furry and stained in places with blood was pawing at his front screen.

He screamed.

The rabbit knocked his head on the glass repeatedly, the dirt-tarnished note clenched between his canines squashed on the surface. The cab driver read the address, considered his options, and sweated over his decision. He scrambled out of the car, gently picked up the animal (if it could be called that – the ends of its ears looked like something had exploded out of them, resulting in three relatively soft spikes of white fur) and tiptoed it back into his cab, his eyes darting quickly in all directions to make it extremely sure that he was not being spied by his administrators.

Oh, well, the honest wage-earning driver mused, edging his car forwards, I have some fuel to burn anyway…

_.o.o._

The commander paced his bedroom miserably, Kvar watching him lazily with a wandering eye. The radiator at the side of the bed growled for a few seconds before releasing a huge sigh of comfortable heat waves, but Satoshi definitely wasn't inclined to lie on the bed and sleep it off any time in the near future.

A shame, but Kvar would have to stand in for him. Or rather, lie in for him. The cat curled up on the warmed duvets and tried to imagine some catnip being waved under his nose. The commander yelled in frustration and suddenly snapped up the cat from his resting place.

"_You_! You stupid beast! You should have stopped him from _ever_ leaving in the _first place_!"

Now, Kvar thought, far, far back in his mammalian mind, isn't this familiar?

The cat meowed his reply and thrashed. The duvet looked _so_ inviting…

Satoshi dropped the creature and sat slowly on the bed. Something pricked at his bottom, and he dug underneath himself to find the notebook and pen he had angrily discarded a few hours ago. The notebook was scribbled all over with circled possibilities, arrows, and crosses, all occupying the space of seven pages. The commander groaned, frustrated. How is he going to find Daisuke _this_ time without anything to guide him except for the ankh?

After talking with the chief inspector, he had returned to the path Hiwatari took, only to find that the snow had covered the prints. He had banged his head on a nearby tree trunk for being so careless. He _knew_ he should have followed the path right to its ends. _Why didn't he_? It should have definitely been his top priority.

Satoshi fell backwards into the bed, eyebrows furrowed as he flicked over the pages of his notebook. So far, he's made some guesses, none of which, in his opinion, was intelligent enough to even start on. The cave where Keiji was murdered, Krad's Minioka lodgings… he had even considered the Harada cabin, but the choice was vigorously crossed out. There were other places he wrote down, like abandoned factories, his own school, old warehouses… he did a full search on his laptop, but came up with nothing.

…Until reality slammed itself into the side of his head like a five-inch thick plank.

The commander grabbed his phone and called his driver. The poor chauffeur was sleeping before Satoshi rang.

"Senrou-san, I need to get back to my father's house! It's an emergency!"

_.o.o._

_I can't really say that that was a cliffhanger… 'cause it wasn't. Anyway, I'm sorry that this chapter's so short, but it's the most I can manage before my mind wanders back to its previous line of thought: my exams. I still have four papers to sit: two for chemistry and two for computing studies, and I haven't studied much for both subjects, so I have to be extraordinarily (wow, I didn't even pause once while typing that word! xD) diligent for the next six days or so._

_Anyone noticed that this particular chapter lacked dialogue segments between the characters? There are only two lines of speech! O.o Must be a first for me… And does anyone remember the time placement? 'Cause I don't. (shrugs) Anyway, whatever it is, it's night time now, (probably way past midnight) because I remember thinking that the Daisuke's ice-cream was supposed to be in the afternoon or something. (sweatdrops) I can't say I've got the best memory when it comes to time management._

_And surely we all know who the rabbit with the white fur is…? ;)_

_Can't help giving you guys a bit of a spoiler there xD_

_Special Thanks: To the reviewers who'd stuck with me for a long, long, long time, even if for each chapter they only left 'Please update soon' for a review. You know who you are… well, I assume you do, unless you're suffering from some kind of memory loss… anyway, I heart you guys xD_


	16. Unleashed

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

**_Thanks to those who've stuck with me for a long time and never whine a bit 'bout my slow updates… I ESPECIALLY heart all of you! Putting up with such a busy kid like moi… it requires a great deal of patience, y'know? xD So this chapter is dedicated to all the TRULY patient souls out there who understands that a writer has HIS/HER OWN LIFE TO ATTEND TO._**

_.o.o._

Bachii (the) Broccoli Stalk stared at the world just above the borders of the hot pan. He saw the apron hanging beside the memo board. He saw the humming freezer. He saw the shivering washing machine, and he saw the open window.

But most of all, he saw the garden.

Aaah, the garden. All the sunlight and the rough soil and the nutrients and birds singing and…

Just… aaah.

His fantasies were cut short as he was tumbled over and over in the increasingly hot oil by a huge wooden spoon. Kirin (the) Carrot Piece and Okume (the) Sliced Onion stared at him with silent remorse.

_Goodbye, comrade. I'll always remember you as the hero of the cutting board. _Kirin communicated through telepathy, before she was lifted out of the pan and deep-fried. Okume cried painful tears, and released a gas which set Bachii crying too.

_Okume, don't leave me!_

_It's too late, we're all doomed…_

_.o.o._

There was a knock on the door. The woman pouted to no-one in particular as she lowered her gas volume, stripping off her apron and washing off her hands as the knocking became more rapid. She left the stir-fry to cool for a bit then proceeded to answer the call from the front of the house. To her surprise, her husband beat her to it.

"May I help you?" The husband inquired puzzlingly as he stared down at the morally-ashamed cab driver standing sheepishly on the doorstep. His wife came up to stand on her tiptoes behind him, as per tradition, as housewives have long since the dawn of time a history of being nosy.

The cab driver held up a rabbit by the scruff of its neck, who in turn held up a note by its canines. The husband's eyes widened a great deal, which is saying a lot since his eyes never left the state of being mere arches on his face. His wife gasped, grabbing the animal possessively and shaking it by its fragile body.

"M-Ma'am? I… I don't think you should be doing that…" The cab driver whispered meekly, retreating slowly into the shades of a nearby tree. This whole situation was starting to freak him out. Was that a huge statue of a golden bunny he saw in the living room…?

The wife of the husband ripped the note from the rabbit's teeth and placed them in the husband's palms, seizing the rabbit for a domestic veterinary check-up. "Kosuke-tan! Darling, my sweetpea, read this! Oh my, I am absolutely positive that it is Dark's own handwriting. The poor dears, they must have ran out of clean underwear! I must simply attend to their needs immediately and relieve this honourable wage-earner of such a defying task…!" Glancing meaningfully to the cab driver (who melted further into his surroundings), the woman sighed dramatically before scampering off to do her bidding… or something to that effect.

Kosuke Niwa, the father of one of our leading characters, tried to stop her, but (nearly) as always, he failed. He shook his head then studied the note carefully. What silly prank was Dark playing this time…?

_YO! Mr and Mrs Niwa, diggin' the hoooouse!_

…_Well, I don't mean that literally, but whatever. I'm just mailing to say a big 'HI!' to you folk over in Azumano. Life has been pretty slow up here in a hospital in the town near the resort. Guess what! I got shot! Ain't that fab? I had a bullet in my arm and in my guts. The doc said something bout not being able to use my biceps for a short time, but I wasn't listening, 'cause now I've got a big fat scar on my muscles and I'm dyin' to show it off to the LADIES! Maybe I should allow the ALiBro guys (y'know, the Azumano Live Broadcast…?) to film my scar…_

_Anyway, since I'm running out of space to write (the nurse told me anyway, she's the one writing here, since I've got a BIG FAT SCAR on my muscles), I'll tell you 'bout Daisuke and Krad. Well, you know, this is where I get serious. Krad did Daisuke without the uke's consent. (and I mean uke as in…) Repeatedly. And Daisuke's still recovering. I'm kinda hoping that you'd come here pronto 'cause the little guy's havin' a mental breakdown over the status of his masculinity, if you know what I mean… I think Krad's still looking out for him. I'm growing progressively worried._

_Wishing you guys were here to offer some expert advice,_

_Kaitou Dark (where the rose meets its thorns…) – ISN'T THAT PHRASE COOL!_

Kosuke crumpled the note in his hands, his expression completely unreadable. He released the paper ball and was conscious of the soft crunch it made upon collision with the floor. When he looked up at the cab driver, something in his eyes made the man cringe with fear.

"Can you bring me to the airport please? I'll pay you, of course." Kosuke silently stalked past the cab driver into the Honda. The cab driver looked up at the cloudless sky, and wondered what he had gotten himself into now. The overnight drive from Hokkaido had taken away his sleep and he longed for the warmth of his futon.

"And I haven't even had my breakfast yet…"

_.o.o._

Daisuke tried to blink away the darkness in his eyes, but they kept coming back. The air in the small room smelt dank, the odour of rotting furniture and decaying plaster hovering permanently in the space around him. Somewhere in the room, he heard the monotonous, echoing sound of water dripping onto the floor, and somewhere else, the shallow breathing of Krad.

"Krad? Where are you?" His voice was hoarse. The air was choking his throat. He wasn't sure he could talk anymore without the aid of water first.

A rustle brought his attention to the wall to his left. Before he knew it, a glass of water was brought up to his lips. He hesitated.

"Don't worry; I've tried it. It's not poisoned." Krad's voice calmed him, and he accepted the company of a familiar soul near to his being with an unusual fondness. He gulped down the water quickly, feeling the soothing effect washing over his burning throat, and sighed in contentment.

"We should find a way out of here." Krad suggested grimly, untying the string tied around Daisuke's wrists. The boy rubbed his wrists painfully before groping around for Krad's hands. He found them and squeezed them tightly, frightened to let go. He could feel Krad's eyes staring at his vague form in the darkness.

"Your wounds, Krad…" He said slowly, his other hand reaching up to feel bandages around Krad's chest. The blond grasped his hand and brought it to his cheek. Daisuke could feel the difference between his temperature and the other man's.

"You're cold." Krad informed him, and the man reached around him for the jacket he had before they were thrown into the room. At last he found it, scrunched up in the driest corner in the room, and wrapped it around Daisuke's body. The red-haired teenager didn't take his hand off of Krad's bandages.

Krad noticed this. "I'm fine, love. Satoshi's strong magic has rubbed itself a little on you. I've been commanding it to heal me for the past two hours. I'm not fully restored because the magic wasn't enough, but… I am well. So stop worrying about me. I've asked the body of magic to heal your bruises, too. Are you feeling alright?"

Daisuke's eyes watered. _This_ was the Krad he knew, before everything else started…

"Yes… thank you, Krad."

"It wasn't a problem."

Daisuke pulled the jacket closer to his body. "…How long have I been asleep?"

"I would guess about three hours. I do not know exactly." Daisuke groaned, leaning into Krad's chest. The blond wrapped his arms gently around his small body. The boy relinquished himself to the warmth.

"Sleep. I'll figure out a way for us to escape from here."

Blissfully encased in Krad's comfortable hold, Daisuke slept.

_.o.o._

Kosuke buckled his seat belt as the cabin crew of the airplane bustled about, preparing the passengers for their aerial journey to Hokkaido. When he was sure that his belt in securely fastened, he peeked outside his seat window, observing the ground crew with their reflective jackets as they busily skittered off to their positions, getting ready for the aircraft's eventual take-off. The last of the passengers were jogging with their hand luggage in tow, hurrying to the stairs leading to the body of the plane with comical 'oh-shit-I'm-gonna-miss-this-plane' expressions. Kosuke would have laughed if the situation in his hands were not as grim as they were now.

Luckily, he had managed to grab the last ticket for the plane closest to departure that morning, barely in advance of a woman who was asking for the same ticket to the same destination. He had brought nothing along with him, only the change of clothes he was currently sporting and a few tarot cards for luck. He wasn't planning to spend much time in Hokkaido; his main objectives were to retrieve Daisuke and drag him back to Azumano, holiday over or not.

Kosuke sighed and leaned back into his seat, taking no heed of the announcements made by the captain as the plane slowly slid out of its station and began its sluggish trek to the runways. He wiped his face with the hot tissue a passing stewardess handed to him, and discarded it in a bin bag held by another smiling stewardess. Then he settled into a comfortable position in his seat, his mind working vigorously on formulating plans to recover his son.

_.o.o._

Satoshi banged the door to his father's mansion agitatedly, vaguely satisfied of the fact that his insistence caused the mahogany frames to nearly break off their hinges. The butler answered his angry calls after a few minutes, and Satoshi wasted no time to grab him by the front of his shirt, his face twisting into an unsightly scowl.

"Where's Hiwatari!" The commander demanded, shaking the old man by his intricately-detailed black waistcoat. The old man looked as if he was heading out to somewhere. Watanubi gave an uncharacteristic smirk.

"Nowhere _you_ would know." He replied, gripping Satoshi's wrist and twisting it behind the boy's back. Satoshi yelled in pain. His right hand! That was his right hand!

Watanubi looked at the torn bandages with mild interest. "What do we have here…?" He ripped the white strips of thin cloth and saw the scar.

"Pretty deep. Master Hiwatari gave you quite the beating, hmm?"

"Well," Satoshi started, with some difficulty since his wrist felt like it's going to tear away from his arm anytime soon, "…He didn't exactly _beat_ me…"

"Then I'll do it in his stead." Watanubi seemed to pull his face away. It was a mask, and under it Satoshi saw the fiercest expression he had ever seen… on a _butler_, no less. Watanubi's hands suddenly felt cold against the commander's own.

"A nightvenger…!" Satoshi breathed in his attempt to get away. He had no proof, but he _knew. _What was a nightvenger doing as Hiwatari's _butler_! He had no time to contemplate on this question, however, because Watanubi chose that precise moment to throw his weight to the ground and plant his knee on the commander's back.

"You thought I was an old, frail man, didn't you? Well, sorry to disappoint, but I'm still in my thirties. Shocked? You should be. I'd be surprised if you're not." Satoshi screamed as his head was banged against the stone floor. He had a feeling that his forehead was bleeding.

"You coward! You don't fight fair!" He shouted, muffling another scream as his head was banged again. Watanubi was laughing.

"You forgot something, little master: we nightvengers _never_ play fair." He smiled wickedly as Satoshi tried to spit out some blood that got in his mouth.

"And guess what? You're… _father_," Watanubi mocked, "…Never did, either." He banged Satoshi's head again. The seventeen-year-old was starting to feel nauseous.

"Now Krad-sama and that red-haired _vermin_ will die in that dreary, derelict place. And you will never have a chance to see them ever again!"

Satoshi, in his sub-consciousness, never caught the full length of the sentence, but he had managed to catch little bits of the words. And what he heard, he didn't like.

"Let… me… _go_!" He yowled furiously, throwing Watanubi off with miraculous strength. The combined force of the powerful emotions born from the words 'red-haired vermin', 'die' and 'never… see them again!' gave him a rush that was packed with enough spark to send Watanubi flying into a pillar.

He could feel it. There was something wondrous flowing in his veins, awakening his body, renewing his strength and giving him the power to yield. It was magic, that force, and he welcomed it with open arms. He could hear voices whispering in his ears, one voice at first, but it was soon joined by other voices, and their words passed through his thoughts like a fierce torrent. In a second, he had the knowledge of his ancestors, and was using them in full effect.

He froze the nightvenger in his position on the ground. Lightning tingled at his fingertips as he pointed his hand at Watanubi's chest. Bolts of pure electricity flew across the air to spear the defeated man, and Satoshi savoured the raw, morbid satisfaction of hearing the nightvenger scream.

"Tell me where Daisuke is, or I'll _kill_ you." He said, and realized that the voice was not his own. It was rough and threatening, a voice so murderous that he feared himself. It was as if his emotions were doing the talking, not the better part of his brain. Is this what people meant when they say 'the voice of the heart'…?

Watanubi refused to relieve the information. Satoshi roared and punched the pillar behind the man, watching as the bits of rubble fell into Watanubi's chestnut hair. The nightvenger seemed frightened enough. "_Tell. Me._"

Once again, Watanubi refused, but his resolve was wavering. Satoshi went berserk. His emotions flew, uncontrollable. Without his consent, his arm moved to trace a nine-pointed diagram in the air. Watanubi whimpered loudly. God, he thought, I'm in for it _now_.

"Rin. Pyou. Tou. Sha. Kai. Jin. Retsu. Zai. Zen." Satoshi chanted in the ragged voice he had before, his hand touching a point on the hazy diagram as he said each word. When he finished, he threw his arm in the air and the diagram disappeared. Then came a horrendous tremor, and a mighty gust blew, throwing Watanubi into _another_ pillar. The air itself swirled crazily and the colours of the trees and the earth drained out like a washed painting.

All hell broke loose. A black hole suddenly opened over Watanubi's head, and everything was sucked into its centre. Satoshi held his hand up and seemed to pull something in front of him. Slowly, a sword formed in his hand, as if he had dragged it out of the air. With it he pointed to the black hole, and a shadow reached out eerily from the vacuum and hooked its claws on Watanubi's waistcoat. He was being hoisted into the hole by the shadow, which seemed eager to wrap its claws around the nightvenger's frame and crush him to death. Watanubi thrashed and yelled like a madman.

"This is your last chance, _filth_. Tell me, WHERE IS DAISUKE!" Satoshi roared, his voice a calamity of echoes in Watanubi's pained ears. The shadow was cackling.

"The old school! He in a storeroom at the abandoned building south of the assembly point! Please, don't let me die!" Watanubi shouted desperately, screaming as the shadow's sharp claws grazed his face. Satoshi ended the spell before the nightvenger was sucked completely into the black hole, and as the colours reabsorbed themselves back into the surrounding areas and the wind and the quake died down, police sirens boomed from every direction around them.

Officer Rikou rushed to Satoshi with Kazuki trailing close behind him. "Commander! What the hell--?"

Satoshi turned on his heels and walked away, the mysterious sword still in his hands. He rubbed his bleeding forehead and noted the abrasion. He nonchalantly wiped the blood off with the sleeve of his jacket. When he spoke, his voice was his own. "Deal with him appropriately, officer. He's a nightvenger."

"But we have no substantial proof that he is—"

"I am the commander of this region. You shall do as I say as long as you are here. And when I say that man is a nightvenger--" Satoshi pointed to Watanubi with his sword, an act which prompted the man to scream hysterically, "…Then he shall be dealt with accordingly. _Understood_? Trainee Kazuki, I need you to drive me to the Azumano High School."

"But—"

A glare from Satoshi was enough to start him running to the police car. The commander gave Watanubi one last warning look before silently storming off, the sword hefted on his shoulders.

_.o.o._

_Rin – Pyou – Tou – Sha – Kai – Jin – Retsu – Zai - Zen_

_This is the nine-word chant (formally known as 'kuji') uttered by Kantaro in the manga 'Tactics'. It's used against evil spirits and means something along the lines of "Form a line, soldiers about to battle and glancing at the field before you." I used it here because…_

_Nightvengers DO have bad spirits in them, in a way. (heck, they murder people)_

_I was bored._

_It sounded cool enough to be used by Satoshi._

_I have the image of the shadow and the black hole stuck in my mind ever since I read the 'Mediator' series by Meg Cabot and the manga 'Tactics'._

_I wanted to kill time._

_I like magic._

_DNAngel is a series laced with magic._

_My cousin was a fan of diagrams and logos and stuff, so that's where the nine-point diagram came from._

_I was bored._

…_And yeah, I was bored._

_Well, the chapter's gotta go somewhere, right? Luckily for you, it's a pretty decent chapter from me. Don't expect this kind of standard all the time, darlings. I'm improving, yes, but I'm improving VERY SLOWLY xD I'm sorry the chapter started in such a silly way. I was in a strange mood when I started this chapter and I was pissed off because someone said I updated too slow for their liking. Well, whatever, I guess. Different people have different temperaments -.-;_

_Hope you guys liked this chapter! --Adriatic_


	17. Cry For Help

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_**ALSO!** Forgive me for calling Daisuke a youngling in the second paragraph. I couldn't help it; I was in a funky kind of mood O.o; And excuse my switching between tenses, I couldn't help THAT either! (laughs maniacally) …Err… Spur of the moment, sorry xP_

_**ALSO!** I noticed that I typed "…wiped the blood off with the jacket of his sleeve…" last chapter. Gosh, that totally threw off the mood, dinnit? Anyway, I've changed it xD Apologies to everyone who went "GAAAAH!" like I did. I totally suck at re-checking my chapters xP_

_.o.o._

Krad ran his hand along the wooden planks that boarded up what he assumed was the window of the room. The nails were rusty, but were still lodged tightly in the wood, making it hard to pry the planks off by hand. He left the window to grope once more around the room, his feet making hardly a noise on the carpeted floor. All the noise there is, although discreet, was the soft 'squish' made when his feet pressed on the damp parts of the carpet.

Daisuke was still sleeping in a small, dry space near to him, the jacket securely wrapped around his body and keeping him adequately warm. Occasionally he would mumble and whine sadly in his sleep, and in those times Krad would keep close to him and stroke his dishevelled hair gently, knowing full well that the youngling was having nightmares about his experiences at the Minioka Lodgings.

Presently, there was a loud noise of something wooden falling against another wooden object. The usual echoing sound that accompanied such an incident travelled around the room, arousing Daisuke from his sleep almost immediately.

Krad's eyes squinted to gaze into the darkness of the dank room, in the general direction of the noise. His feet treaded carefully across the old carpet, his arms positioned in front and behind him, just in case he was jumped from either direction. Fumbling with his left hand, which was poised to guard him from the front, he discovered a disused settee, a table, and four chairs strewn randomly around the place.

He was in another place. Probably in an adjoining room, one of which he had missed while he was exploring the room they were originally in. This room seemed drier but a lot more cluttered than the room before. The floor was bare, so the boards creaked as Krad stepped on them. Dust constantly hovered invisibly in front of the blonde's nose. Several times he had to stop and (uncharacteristically) sneeze. Behind him, Daisuke followed – the nightvenger could hear his faint whimpers.

Krad stopped in his tracks as the same wooden sound they had heard before rebounded between the walls again. "Krad!" Daisuke called out desperately, tucking the jacket firmly around his torso. It was getting chillier in the room.

"Niwa-kun, _stay where you are_!" Krad hissed, his head swivelling to find Daisuke's physique in the darkness. He found that he could see the boy quite clearly. He was standing not too far away from the blond himself. Krad could see him so clearly, in fact, that it was as if there was a…

"Oh, Krad! Look! There's some light from over there!" Daisuke pointed to a shaft of light entering from a small hole a few metres ahead of them. Krad turned around again, and, after giving Daisuke a strict command of "_Don't move a **muscle**_", approached the hole. It was carelessly boarded up, but there was a huge gap between two boards where one board had probably been pulled away by some kind of animal. The hole was previously hidden behind a wooden cupboard. Apparently, one type of insect or another had chewed through the back of the cupboard and it had collapsed, revealing the opening in the brick wall. Krad had hazarded a guess and thought of termites, and therefore, not being a huge fan of insects in general, began to back away a few steps from the cupboard.

"What's wrong, Krad?" Daisuke asked, curious. Seeing the man walk right past him in a backwards manner was rather disconcerting.

"Bugs. Probably. Err." The blond coughed, looking embarrassed for a moment before speculating on their current situation. Daisuke looked at him, then at the hole, and then back at him again, his gaze expectant.

"Besides being an exceptional source of light, this hole is useless to us. It's too small for you to squeeze through, and I have no hope in getting even my head through that." Krad sighed quietly. Daisuke noticeably slumped.

There was more sounds; this time coming from the previous room. It sounded as if someone was unbolting a lock on a door. Daisuke crept closer to Krad. The nightvenger patted the boy's shoulder as a signal of saying "You should stay here". Daisuke understood the message and watched as Krad sidled cautiously to the other room.

Suddenly there was a shout, and a surprised yell. A gunshot rang throughout the space of the two rooms, followed rapidly by the sound of a bullet ricocheting against a sheet of metal. There were a few agonized cries, and then a short struggle, then finally a dull 'thump'. There were pained groans; and Daisuke was sure that one of them belonged to Krad.

"Leave the poor fool alone; we're here for the boy. The Crest specifically ordered that the blond be spared. Huh, where did all this light come from, anyway…?" The voice drew nearer as it spoke, and Daisuke quickly hid under the table for lack of better thinking. He was trembling all over. And it was not a result of the increasing chill.

"He's not here, Cap'n. Little bugger's escaped. Should we tell this to the Crest?"

"Aye, he's not 'ere, Cap'n. We be heading back, I says; that'd be right, won't it? I've got tae git this bleedin' knee o' mine a proper seein'-to, eh? Tha' bullet came frae a good shot, I reckon, umm?"

"You imbeciles! He's still here. Hiding under that table yonder. See how it's shakin'?"

One of Hiwatari's men, the one who had spoken first, kicked the table over and pretended it didn't (at the very least) crack his bone. Daisuke screamed and cursed himself for his foolishness. Was there any sixteen-year-old dumber than he was!

The man grabbed Daisuke by his jacket and dragged him across the floor to the feet of the captain. The taller figure grinned evilly down at the red-haired boy, his gun flashing at his belt. "Well, well… look at what the _underdog_ brought back." There were sniggers – the kind of sniggers you expected to hear when a vicious villain made a joke. Those 'I'd-better-laugh-if-I-don't-want-a-bullet-down-my-throat' kinds.

Daisuke spat.

Which was probably the wrong thing to do, given the current situation they were in.

"Grrr! You little piece of pig shit!"

_.o.o._

Kosuke wandered out of the 'Arrivals' terminal, heading straight for the exit, his mind buzzing with different ways to reclaim his son; to persuade him to return to his family in Azumano. Previously, he had decided to arrange an o-miai for Daisuke and this 'Krad' person, but since they were both guys, it would be rather indecent of him.

There was a commotion in the main lobby. He tried to ignore it.

…A minute later, he sidled into one of the seats and joined the throng of people crowded around the television screen embedded into the wall.

"…I heard he was kidnapped by the rapist…"

"…No way! Such a young age…"

"…You can't believe what the young ones do at their age – last week my neighbour's son went to a drinking party and got a girl pregnant…"

"…Yes, yes, but this boy…"

"…The rapist is a homo, then? What a pity for such a good-looking man…"

"…He had the loveliest stretch of golden hair. I feel so alive watching young men…"

"…Ohohoho, Satsuki-san… such dirty thoughts…"

The three gossiping women cackled. Kosuke edged a little closer to their little group, intrigued. This case sounds familiar…

"…But it is truly a pity… what was the name of the boy, again?"

"…No one knows, but the media suspects that he's a tourist…"

"…From where?"

"…I wouldn't like to think that he's from abroad… it would give Japan a bad name, indeed…"

"…No, no, I'm sure I had heard that the boy was from the southern regions…"

"…Osaka, maybe?"

"…The police refused to relay their information… but they denied that the victim was from Osaka…"

"…I see…"

"…Ah, there's the news!"

Kosuke defended his seat well, thus he received a clear view of the screen. He was hoping fervently that the women were not talking about his Daisuke.

"We bring you the latest news for the kidnapping of the southern tourist. It seems that the police managed to secure a lead in this case by the discovery of an alliance between the kidnapper and the Nightvengers' Guild. This followed the capture of an accomplice of the crime at a mansion in the outskirts of a small town where the kidnapper had secretly planned his operations. We are still waiting for a response from our reporter at the crime scene. Until then, stay tuned to the Nippon National Channel (NNC)… up next, the drama, 'Falling Roses', where the hero finally…"

Kosuke didn't stay to listen to the rest of the broadcast.

He was already gone.

_.o.o._

Satoshi solemnly dragged the sword behind him. His head tilted to glare at the rickety building looming over him, his eyes nearly blinded by the rays of the setting sun. With a swift movement, he swung the sword onto his shoulder again; ignoring the Kazuki's panicked cries from the squad car.

_I'm coming, Daisuke._

_Hang in there for me._

_.o.o._

_Oooh. I say._

_I'm in huge trouble. Did you notice that I had unconsciously mentioned that Satoshi mansion was near to Hokkaido? X.x It's like Daisuke and the gang zapped back to Azumano for a sec to nurse Krad's wounds, then warped back to Hokkaido to be thrown into a dank room in an old school building. Anybody noticed? x(_

_Grrr, I'm so sorry. I know that it's a huge blotch to the storyline, but can you ignore it? I'm really, really, really, sorry. I know that it was very careless of me, but… I'm known for my unnecessary clumsiness. **SORRY!**_

**_-makes a mental note NEVER to make Satoshi take a trip out of Azumano ever again-_**


	18. Together Again

**Weak – A DNAngel Fanfiction **

Summary:

**_During a trip to the mountains, Satoshi stumbled upon a boy who has fainted in the snow. He brought him back, and the boy changed much of his cold personality. Unfortunately, the boy was then kidnapped by an agent from Satoshi's own family. Will he succeed in rescuing him back?_**

_Usual disclaimers apply._

_**YAY! LAST CHAPTER!** It's here! It's black, it's gruesome, it's furry, it's irate, it's got fangs… raaawr. _

_One other thing. D'OH! I have also just realized that I said that Krad made all the art pieces of the Hikari family. Dammit! **Damn. It. **Did anybody notice that that would make Krad, like, a hundred million years old - or some age in that range - since the Hikari artworks are mostly from before the cultural revolution? O.o I need to start caring for little things like this if I want to write successfully! (cries) I'm so incredibly, earnestly, **truly** sorry! This is horrible… Someone please give me a good telling off so that I would never do this kind of thing ever again… maybe I should change "Krad made" into "Krad's family made blahblahblah for generations". Yeah, I'll probably do that. And I'll also change his age, it's growing to be pretty inconsistent with the ever-changing storyline… One day, I'd have to look over this fic and correct all the little mishaps…_

_Anyway._

_My highest, highest, highest regards to the reviewers who've stuck with me through this literary ramble xP Especially to those of you who reviewed on every chapter (or 90 percent of it)! That has always amazed me. When I started this project, I had originally wanted it to be about 5 chapters long. Then I went over my plot, and I found that it's just too simple, and wholly unsatisfying. So the bit with Krad kidnapping Daisuke was totally unplanned. (sweats) I had wanted the kidnapping to be simple, but then I read too much yaoi scanlations that night, and thus Chapter 6 was born! (collective gasps from the audience) Yes, I know, I wrote crap, but… I've gone too far into the story to delete that bit. One thing led to another, and… (sighs) forgive me, it's my first time writing shounen-ai fics. I've read yaoi, but I still can't write a scene myself T-T; Apologies to the person who requested it! x(_

_Well, see you again someday!_

_.o.o._

The robotic arm clanked as it lifted a hefty grimoire off the pile of Hikari artefacts. With a last grunt, it flung the volume into the gaping black hole creeping along the floor, and the book sizzled as if burned in a wet flame. Seemingly satisfied, the arm glided swiftly to the diminishing pile again, now clanking in its effort to lift an enormous painting from the depths of heap of precious magical articles.

From behind a thick, enchanted glass pane, Hiwatari observed as magic accumulated in the dark abyss. The grimoire was loaded with sealed demons, and it jacked up the level of magic pretty nicely. The commissioner sighed, leaning back into his chair. The process was too slow…

"Excuse me sir, we brought the brat." A muffled voice said from behind the door, growling when a particular 'brat' bit him in the palm.

"Why you stupid…"

Hiwatari sighed. "Bring him in, Kadou. There's no need for us to hear your famous little catchphrase." The door opened and three men stepped in. One of the men, the one with a bullet in his leg, hopped away into another room to nurse his wound. The man named Kadou restrained Daisuke's arms behind his back while his free hand covered the boy's mouth.

Hiwatari raised an eyebrow. "Why are holding him in such a way, Kadou? And what happened to Yuuguri over there?"

"Yuuguri got a bullet in the leg as a result of his own natural stupidity. And I'm holding the little brat like this because he wouldn't fuckin'… _shut up_." Kadou growled the last two words as Daisuke attempted to bite his palm again. The man muttered an angry 'shit' and flung Daisuke into a corner of the room. The sixteen-year-old groaned.

"…Nato, have you got any news for me?" Hiwatari asked one of the two other men, holding a hand up for a pause as he commanded whoever it was that controlled the robot arm to leave the painting alone since it was an important artefact with an interesting vein of magic that he would _love_ to unlock.

"Yes, Lord Crest. It seems that the police have dismissed you as the commissioner."

"Ah, that was to be expected. I suspected that they knew of my intentions a long time ago." Hiwatari turned in his chair to face Daisuke, who turned his face upwards in defiance. His smile was replaced by a threatening smirk.

"Now then… do you fancy helping me with something, Niwa-san…?"

_.o.o._

"…What! Classified! What do you mean, classified! I'm his father, I _deserve_ to know!" Kosuke thumped his fist on the counter at the police station, his face red with anger.

He had travelled all the way from the airport to the police station, knowing that visiting the hospital would be futile, since Daisuke was no longer there. He had managed to scour enough money from his near empty wallet to pay some of the taxi fares, and had surrendered his expensive watch to pay the rest. Now he was being told that the location of his kidnapped son could not be revealed to him, the father. As you might expect, he was _pissed_.

"I'm sorry, sir, but this matter affects some very delicate issues involving the political-"

Kosuke swore _very_ colourfully. A couple of police officers threw a warning glare his way, but he was being completely ignorant. The man continued to shout at the frightened cadet. After a while of arguing, a kindly senior officer patted the cadet's trembling shoulders and said, "Just tell him, Hiroki. He's the _father_ after all. Don't worry, we don't have a commissioner now, so we can do almost anything we want for a while."

Relieved of the task of arguing further with the irritated man across the counter, Hiroki told everything Kosuke needed to know – finishing with how Kazuki's periodic reports on the police radio told them that they were at a nearby school building. The senior officer from before introduced himself kindly as an honourable man named Ryoshi and opted to drive Kosuke to the place, and they quickly set off.

_.o.o._

Satoshi embedded the tip of his sword into the earth in front of the locked door leading to the inside of the old building. A huge chain had barred his way in, linking the door handles to a cluster of iron nails on either side of the entrance. It had refused to give way under simple hacking and banging, so Satoshi resorted to using magic.

Using the newfound knowledge of his ancestors, Satoshi muttered an invocation that made the earth tremble slightly beneath his feet. A pentagram scrawled with runes formed on the ground under the door, its appearance hazy at first, and then gradually glowing brighter and brighter until Satoshi had to break the incantation to shield his eyes from the brightness. A high-pitched screech erupted, and an explosion followed. Fierce torrents of flame melted the chains in a split-second and turned the crumbling oak door into nothing. Satoshi felt the flames rising to gorge on his flesh. The heat of the fire was suffocating. It threatened to shrivel his innards and turn them into powder. Before he could scream, he unconsciously commanded the fire to cease. The pentagram disappeared, and the flames were slowly put out by the wet wind. It started to rain.

The azure-eyed boy pulled out his sword again and walked warily into the structure. The floor was blackened, a result of his magic, and the ceiling had eroded from the heat to reveal half-eaten beams, dripping with rainwater. Satoshi observed in his passing that the front part of the building could collapse at any minute, and quickened his pace.

There was a low mumble of "What the hell was that…?" to his right. Bracing his sword in front of him, he confronted the man behind the wall.

Krad took a wobbly step backwards and fell on his back, crying out in pain. His long golden hair spread evenly across the floor as he groaned. "Young master…?"

Satoshi lowered his sword just a little. "K-Krad…?" The nightvenger shifted a little on his back, wincing. He was almost half-naked, wearing only a pair of wet trousers and a thin wrapping of bandages around his torso.

"Is it raining outside? God, I'm soaked…" He complained, holding a hand up to the seventeen-year-old boy standing over him.

"Help me up, will you?" Satoshi hesitantly complied. "One of the Crest's cronies kicked me in the back with iron-clad shoes. Definitely the worst bruise I'll ever get from a scuffle. Aaah…" Krad moaned as he dragged himself slowly to lean against the wall. Satoshi looked around wildly. Nearby was a set of stairs and a dark room. On the floor, droplets of old blood left a trail that lead from the room, up the stairs, then disappearing beyond sight. Satoshi was tempted to follow, but to where? He had to be prepared.

"_Cowards_. Simple. Minded. _Cowards_. Attacking an injured man… in a mob, more or less! Back then, when I was your age, cronies had honour. _Honour_! Now it's all brutes, brutes, brutes and no brains. One single word and you get a punch. One doubting phrase and you get a jab. One crooked smile and you're hammered. There's no intelligence in the brains of these thugs; they condemn the real thrill of extreme plotting! The dark side now only feeds on the simple brutality of its army. The underground forces will never be the same…" Krad sighed after his little speech, unaware of the amused expression on Satoshi's face.

"Um. Yes." Satoshi coughed a little, his sword tapping on the cement floor. "Okay. Uh. Krad, I need to know where those stairs lead. Can you tell me?" Krad moved a little in his position against the wall to look past Satoshi. His eyebrows creased as he tried to figure it out.

"I… don't know. Well, it leads to somewhere, doesn't it?" At Satoshi's glare, Krad sighed. "I'm not feeling at my best, but…" The blond flinched at the pain in his back as he drew a gun from his back pocket. Satoshi held his sword up in defence. The air crackled with magic.

"Whoa there, young master." Krad's golden eyes softened. "I'm not gonna hurt you or anything. I found this when I woke up in that room." He nodded to the dark room where the blood trail started. "One of the Crest's cronies must've dropped it when I sent his bullet back to him with a food tray. He caught it in his knee, I think." The man sighed as Satoshi lowered his sword bit by bit.

"Who is this 'Crest' you keep talking about?"

"It's Hiwatari. He's called 'Crest' while we're on official Armageddon business. I used to call him Crest on many a time." The blond checked the gun's barrel; it looked as if the crony of the Crest who originally owned the gun didn't bother re-loading after the shoot-out, but thankfully one bullet is still unused.

"…So." Krad brought himself up and did a short stretch that made him grit his teeth in agony. Seeing his back now, Satoshi could see one hell of bad bruise, just above the bandages, almost in between the blonde's shoulder blades. "I'll cover you." More silently, Krad signalled for Satoshi to follow him at a distance.

The stairs led to an inevitably long corridor. The musty smell of damp air mixed with a faint aroma of mould prompted Satoshi to sneeze lightly. One side of the corridor was lined with what was once glorious frosted glass, and Satoshi realized that the school must have been a lavish private academy before it had gone public. Now the windows were boarded up from the outside, preventing much light penetrating through. As they walked along the bleak passageway Krad pointed at areas on the floor where the foundations were pretty weak, but other than that, they reached another set of stairs at the end of the corridor - leading upwards again - just fine.

Satoshi began to feel the weight of the sword in his arms. It had felt so light before, yet now it seemed as if it's having a gradual increase in mass. The blue stone set into the exotic hilt glowed despite its solid appearance. It was not a sapphire gemstone; Satoshi was sure of that. It had the dimensional features of a normal rock, but blue, instead of the usual grey. How it came to appear glowing to him was out of his reasonable thinking range. The blade was glinting, although there was scarcely any light to reflect. Satoshi had time to look closely as Krad rambled about how the stairs might lead to a trap and how possible it is to find the cronies waiting for them on the landing above.

A blue light mixed with hints of gold was rippling fuzzily along the surface of the blade, and Satoshi wondered hazily if there was really magic in his veins. The fact that in the space of one day he had nearly zapped a stubborn man to near death with enough electricity to light a small cottage; summoned a shadow demon from a dark and ominous world; whirled amassed properties of nature into complete chaos; pulled a seemingly ancient magical sword out of nowhere; and nearly burned the whole building down with fire that erupted out of a numinous pentagram didn't appear to have hit him even once in the head.

"Young master?" Krad called worriedly, his voice cagily low. It seemed that the blond was still wary of the prospect of cronies waiting for them upstairs. He looked as if he was coping reasonably well with the pain in his back, but the occasional twinge in his face was clear, so Satoshi guessed that it might still be stinging. "Are you ready? That sword looks heavy."

Satoshi's thoughts flicked back to Daisuke, and his situation. His fury rekindled. "Yes, I'm ready. It's just that the sword is posing some difficult problems at the moment. But yes, Krad, lead the way."

Krad glanced at the sword suspiciously, trying to recognize from where he had seen it before. At last he shrugged and gave up trying to figure the object out. "As long as you can keep it hovering high enough so that it doesn't scrape too noisily on the floor. Presently, stealth is the best weapon when dealing with Hiwatari. I have good reason to believe that he's been 'soaking' up magic from the sealed tomes of our Hikari heritage." His fists clenched. "I will personally see to it that he pays an appropriate price for messing about with our family assets."

The trip up the steep stairs was shorter than both Hikaris expected, and Krad found himself fumbling with the gun as the landing lay flat underneath his feet. Satoshi handled his sword with one hand while the other utilised magic behind his back to produce a ball of energy that shivered in his palm.

"Why have I got the feeling that this is not as it seems?" Satoshi whispered to Krad's leaning ear. The blond was looking around suspiciously, the gun poised expertly in his right hand. His profession as a nightvenger often called for such alert awareness of his surroundings, especially if they were as dubious as this presumably 'fake' landing. "One minute we're standing on the fourth step up the stairs and suddenly we've found the first level-"

In fact, it wasn't really an open space as a 'level' would imply. It was basically a _very_ white room. It's so white that Satoshi felt sinful for not having a mint in his mouth to enhance the whiteness and complete the somewhat 'minty fresh' look. There was nothing else in the room except the near-chilling whiteness of it, and this was starting to disturb the men. Krad and Satoshi's hair colours seemed out of place. It's just… _that_ white.

"This is… indescribable." Krad muttered an expletive. "This is… indescribable." He repeated himself, shaking his head and ignoring the minor pain it brought to his bruise. He took a step forward, and stopped. Then he took another step. And another. And another. As he stood in the middle of the room, something curious happened. The room seemed to produce a rumbling sound, and the light flickered. Satoshi looked up but saw no light bulbs, just whiteness.

"What's happening!" He questioned, panicking the slightest. The sword in his hand hummed, a sound that pierced his body like needles. As much as he wished it to, the rumbling didn't stop, and the floor was gently vibrating. This sudden turn of events evoked a feeling of danger in Krad and Satoshi. They suddenly felt like they were in a situation where they were the prey, and the predator was getting closer to eating them alive. Krad cocked the gun in his grip with his thumb and pointed it at the ceiling, sweat forming on his forehead.

"Shit, I can't shoot this bullet now! I don't have any extras!" He undid the cock and looked around frantically. Satoshi slashed his sword at the wall, hoping that it would make an exit. The weight of the weapon almost knocked the breath out of him.

The sword glided through the whiteness as if it was cutting through air. Bewildered, Satoshi nearly dropped his blade.

"Krad, this isn't real! Nothing is real!"

"Dammit… I should have expected this from the Crest!" Krad turned around, ready to escape back down the stairs.

Except there wasn't any stairs. Everything was white. "Young master, can you find the stairs!" Satoshi steadied his sword in his hand again and spun around on his heels.

"No! Krad, we need to get out of here! I've got a feeling that something is coming towards us!" Krad swore like a miner. He started to feel around for solid opening, but there seemed no end to the whiteness around them.

"Find an exit, then! Hurry up!"

The men groped around blindly. As they searched, they felt as if the whiteness was closing in on them, its infinite expanse shrinking into their beings predatorily. If they had time to consider, the men would notice that the whiteness hadn't moved. It was just as if the air particles were compacting themselves into a blanket of solidity around their bodies.

"Huh," Krad muttered loud enough for Satoshi to hear, "This vaguely reminds me of an Indiana Jones movie. You know, when the walls start to inch slowly towards the guy in the funny outfit…? Those cheap props with spikes jutting out everywhere. They looked pretty dangerous, but…" He paused in his search to scan the whiteness around them. "I guess this place has a much more threatening atmosphere."

There was a thud as Satoshi slammed himself into _something_ deliberately. "_Move_ your…" He grinded out between clenched teeth and strained jaw muscles, pushing at an invisible wall, "…Frickin' _ass_."

Krad took offence. "Who, _me_?"

"No, the frickin' _white_ _bunnies_. Who the fuck else?" Satoshi gave a profound glare. Krad gasped at his young master's foul oath.

"Help me hold back this… this _thing_!" The blue-haired seventeen-year-old shouted, straining to push back something invisible to the naked eye. Krad raised his eyebrows dubiously.

"What thing?"

"There's a frickin' wall here, dumbass! Help me stop it moving towards us!"

"What wall? There's no _wall_!" He stomped over to where the commander stood and crushed himself against the 'wall', trying to prove the boy wrong.

"Huh! What the hell is going on!" Krad yelled furiously, his anger fuelled by his confusion. He slapped the solid form of air. Dimly, he realized that what he said about the contrasts to Indiana Jones movies was actually… _pretty damn real_. The 'walls' were ebbing towards them slowly from either side. Their surface was jaggy and quite sharp, like millions of blunt needle tips made invisible. If the 'walls' were to crush them, they would have the pleasure of hearing the men moan in agony for a reasonably long period of time.

The two trapped men could've sworn _something_ in the air was _smirking_. _Smugly_.

"Damned if I know." Satoshi started to hyperventilate. He dropped his sword and - as if he hadn't been looking like mad before - his eyes swept over every inch of white, looking for just the palest shade of grey. The shades of a shadow.

Krad braced himself against nothing. His feet firmly screwed themselves to the floor, and his legs straightened, pushing his weight on the 'wall', which was edging closer by the second. It didn't seem to work, despite his best efforts. "I've been pushing like a birthing woman. Have you got any other ideas for escape, _young master_?" He hadn't meant the tint of sarcasm; it came out as a kind of vocal reflex. His bruise throbbed at the stress of having to push something that he couldn't even _see_.

Satoshi picked his sword up again. Or at least, he tried to. The thing weighed like a plasma screen TV now (rough estimate). Not that Satoshi knew how heavy a plasma screen TV was, mind. Anyway, it was pretty heavy. The blue-haired teenager kicked it like a little boy kicking away a toy car in a tantrum. Except that unlike a toy car, the sword didn't budge. Satoshi cringed at the pain in his toes.

"Daisuke…" His heart twisted at the thought of Daisuke, so near yet so far away.

Sensing the boy's gloom, Krad chuckled nervously. "Young master, perhaps we were looking at the wrong place all the time? Maybe… maybe…" The blond's eyes lit up. He sprang into action, dragging his feet all over the place for some unexplainable reasons. Satoshi watched with mild disinterest. His mind was conjuring horrific images of Daisuke clapped in chains and burnt in white hot flames. He was trying his best to suppress the thoughts.

"_Found it_!" The nightvenger suddenly cried triumphantly, squatting on the floor and tugging on something Satoshi suspected was a kind of handle. Then it hit him like a wet fish, slow and deliberate.

"You mean… the way out was actually a trapdoor _on the floor_!" Krad nodded, and motioned for the commander to help him. "Why haven't I thought of that…?"

Krad shrugged. "When you've been a nightvenger for twenty-odd years, you tend to pick up some _obvious_ things." He sent Satoshi a haughty look that made the young commander scowl in irritation.

After some strenuous tugging, the trapdoor unhinged with an echoing creak. Black dust blotched the whiteness of the expanse of the endless room. An opening gawped beneath the two men, its bottom endless. Krad passed Satoshi a look.

"Daisuke." As though the name of the boy fuelled his confidence, the commander jumped hastily into the hole. Krad, who did not own a similarly strong resolve, spread his arms. The 'walls' brushed against his fingers. Realizing how much he was in danger, Krad quickly thought of something; _someone_ who would give him the strength to leap into the yawning blackness.

Dark's smirking face instantly came to mind, pushing Daisuke's image out of the way.

Grabbing Satoshi's heavy sword for him, the blond jumped into the hole without further delay.

_.o.o._

"Kazuki!" Ryoshi ran to the trainee officer, who was mumbling incoherently to himself and rocking back and forth in his car seat. Kosuke followed, but he kept his eyes on the suspicious burnt marks around the entrance of the old building they had come to. Ryoshi shook Kazuki's shoulders and called his name over and over.

"Fire… flames… out of nowhere… ate up the whole door…" Kazuki shuddered as he started to rock his body to and fro again. Ryoshi worried about how he was going to tell the trainee's wife that her husband's gone mental…

Kosuke left the duo to themselves and walked warily into the school building. He saw the trail of blood and followed it up the stairs and through the corridor, and up some stairs again, where he saw a trapdoor and met a dead end. Whoever shed the blood had jumped into the trapdoor, as the trail stopped short of the hole's edge.

"Here goes nothing…" Kosuke opened the trapdoor. Closing his eyes, he jumped into the hole and blindly hoped that he was going in the right way.

_.o.o._

Satoshi quickly moved out of the way as Krad fell near to him with a grinding 'clang'. He instantly shushed the blond, and tried to lift his sword. Its gentle bluish-golden glow lit the way for them, giving the two men a rough guide of where they are. Presently, it seems as thought they were in a large underground tunnel.

"I never expected a _school_ to have secret passages, but that seems like the case here. Krad, where do you suppose we should go?" The commander bent down and felt around. Krad was lying nearby, panting lowly. "…Krad?"

There was a short pause. "…I'm here." The nightvenger finally replied, patting Satoshi's hand, which was resting on his shoulder. "I just… fell on my back… that's… all." Satoshi remembered the blond's wound.

"Can you stand or walk at all?" There was a short rustling of clothes.

"I can… with a little bit… of help." Satoshi sat beside the nightvenger and listened to his own ragged breathing. Thoughts of whether Daisuke was still alive crossed his mind, but his love runs too deep for these malicious thoughts to wobble his faith in Daisuke.

"Young master… the sword. I… finally… remembered… its origin." Satoshi watched as the shadow of Krad's slender fingers covered the glow of the stone buried in the hilt of the sword. "The Golden Blue… one of… my grandfather's… last pieces…" Krad moaned with pain. The wound on his back seemed to bother his concentration.

"It banishes evil from the roots of its origin. Hmmm…" Satoshi turned his head to look at the nightvenger's face, illuminated in the light.

"What is it, Krad?"

"The Golden Blue is… a strange piece. It is not connected… to the Hikari… in any way. My family had been proud of this fact. It gave us the energy to think that we… that we were not slaves to your family, young master."

"Yet you still call me that. Why?"

Krad laughed a broken, sad laugh. "I owe you a lot, my boy. More than… what you could ever imagine. This simple title is all I can repay you with right now. But, it's strange… the Golden Blue was not… supposed to respond to a call… from a member of the Hikari family. It might have appeared to help… to help you overcome Hiwatari in some way…"

"Of course. It's a sword. I can kill people with it. Hiwatari too, as far as–"

"Kill!" Krad spat, vulgar words escaping his mouth. "Kill! To kill… is a blasphemy, young master. I realise that now. But for me… to kill or not to kill is no longer a choice; I have gone too far down this dark path… to turn back. The Golden Blue… it abhors the very idea of it. Its blade thirsts for a pure heart, not bloody revenge. You see… that was why it weighed as heavy as it did. Both of us came here… to spill the blood of others, to give them back what is due for them. The Golden Blue was trying… to stop us by posing as a hindrance… it wanted us to realize… the true reason behind this raid…" The nightvenger coughed, his body shaking with the effort.

"Love… really does… make you blind." Satoshi said carefully, drawing out the words, his hand floating above the Golden Blue.

The sword dimmed a little in response.

_.o.o._

"…Are you really up for this, Krad?" Satoshi asked ten minutes later as the two of them followed the small tunnel to an exit neither of them were sure of. Krad took his time answering, hobbling along stiffly, his back rigid. He seemed to have recovered from the shock of the fall a little, but the pain still hindered him.

"Don't worry about me, young master. I'll be fine as long as we can get this over with quickly." The sound of a gun being cocked echoed in the tunnel. "I think there's an opening ahead."

Satoshi looked over what he presumed was Krad's shoulder. Even with the glow of the Golden Blue it was still quite dark in the place. "I don't see anything."

Krad laughed a little. "You don't know _anything_ about the underworld, my boy. Watch." He raised his hand and groped at something. Suddenly there was a blast of light, and all Satoshi could see was white.

Thankfully the haze disappeared before he knew it, and now he could see a small gap in the tunnel. Krad had moved a wooden board out of the way of the exit so that light instantly shone through from the room beyond.

"Shh. There's someone out there."

Krad gave a Satoshi the same command he had given Daisuke in the mouldy old room they were kept captive in before. Like Daisuke, Satoshi obeyed, giving Krad the go-ahead with a nod.

The long-haired man jumped out of the narrow passageway and Satoshi could hear muffled sounds of a fist fight, not the gunshot he had been anticipating. As the commander came out of the hole when Krad gave him the signal, he asked the blond about this.

"I don't want to risk a bullet for a measly guy like him. He tried to use magic on me but it was a pathetic hypnotism spell that I deflected right back. Look at him." Krad nodded at Yuuguri, who was staring into space with a maniacal grin on his face. "He's probably hopping with bunnies now for all I know. And he deserved that knuckle sandwich I gave him – he was the one who booted me on my back."

Krad moved on out of the room, keeping Satoshi close behind him. The commander stared at the hand gripping his own, almost possessively. "Krad."

"What?"

"My hand…?"

"What about it…?"

"You're cutting off my blood supply."

The hand was released almost immediately. "S-Sorry." The blond watched as the commander flexed his fingers to normalize the distribution on blood in his hand. He felt the familiar urge to reach out and grab him, the way he had grabbed the boy from his cradle sixteen years back. But he knew he could not. Doing so would give away those morbid secrets, and he didn't want Satoshi to know what he did… he had held back on this urge for the past ten years in the presence of the boy, so why should he give in now?

He turned away. Satoshi's voice stopped him. The commander was holding his hand thoughtfully. "Krad, I've been wondering…"

Krad looked into the blue-haired teenager's eyes and knew what he was going to ask. "One day, you will discover the truth, my child. One day… for now, we have someone to retrieve from the Crest's hold."

Satoshi frowned, but nodded, gripping the Golden Blue in his hands. Now in his heart he only knew of one objective – to snatch back Daisuke from his 'father' and get the hell away from here.

'Snatch back'?

Daisuke wasn't Hiwatari's in the first place.

"How are you holding up with the sword?"

Satoshi adjusted his grip of the weapon's hilt. "I think it's gotten a lot lighter. I can carry it now."

"Good, 'cause we're going in with a crash and a bang." The commander finally saw the door in front of Krad, half-hidden behind a cascade of silk curtains. He watched in slight horror as the nightvenger raised his foot and kicked the door outwards with a force that defied his current physical state.

There was a surprised shout and a flurry of bullets. Being more experienced in the art, Krad dodged most of them and deflected the rest with the silk curtain, which he had ripped from its rails above the door. Nato charged for the blond first. He cast a spell that called upon the forces of fire. Krad cursed and caught the onslaught with the curtain then hurriedly threw the burning fabric on the floor, stomping on it before moving his attention back on Nato.

Hiwatari watched the nightvenger fight with interest, but kept his eye on Satoshi, who had leapt in while Krad fought with Nato and was currently trying to slice Kadou's arms off with his sword. Kadou was unsurprisingly more apt in the arts of battling and was deflecting Satoshi's attacks easily.

"Satoshi, watch out!" The commander jumped back just as a bullet flew past the point where his head had previously been. The bullet continued on its course and embedded itself in Kadou's shoulder.

"Fucking sonuvva bitchwhore—arrgh…! Nato, I'm going to fuckin' MURDER you!"

"I wasn't aiming at you." Nato answered quickly before he pointed his gun to where Satoshi was.

"No!" Krad threw himself in the way of the bullet.

Suddenly it felt like everything was all in slow-motion. Satoshi wanted to scream, but he couldn't. Krad took the bullet in the chest with a pained grunt, but nothing more. Nato's smirk was maddening. Hiwatari's grin was even more so.

Krad used the last vestiges of his energy to shoot the single bullet in his gun at Nato, but his aiming was deterred by his pain, so he only got Nato's ribs. Even so, this was sufficient to immobilize the man, and take him out of the fight. Now all that's left is Satoshi and Hiwatari. The latter was watching Satoshi with a mix of fear and haughtiness, his expression telling Satoshi that it was not over yet; that he still had the winning card in the game.

"Well, well. I guess that it was sheer luck that lead you along this far. Take a look at your right, Satoshi; I'll let you see _him_ before you die."

Satoshi took a step back and grimaced. He knew who Hiwatari was referring to. His eyes squinted as the window on his right blurred and then wobbled into focus, as if it was a living, wriggling pool of water.

Daisuke was standing in a corner of the huge room at the other side of the window. The red-haired boy was trapped there as a pool of some kind of dark substance oozed its way nearer and nearer to his feet. His expression was terrified, and upon seeing Satoshi staring at him through the window, he looked as if he was whimpering.

"Let him go! What are you doing to him!"

"Not me, commander – the Hikari artefacts are doing this to him."

"You made it happen, didn't you!"

"Technically, yes, but someone like you would never understand." Hiwatari stood up from his chair and walked around his desk slowly. "You don't hold the same desires as I do, Satoshi. I want to own what wasn't mine before. I want to experience the power of knowing and having something that others do not." He was smirking now, smirking as Daisuke cried silently on the other side of the window. Satoshi hated him more than ever for doing this to his Daisuke, _his_ love, the one person he had truly appreciated in his life.

"_You _can give me that power, Satoshi. The power of the Armageddon Art. Or rather… that sword in your hand could." Hiwatari pointed at the weapon. "The Golden Blue… before, I could only marvel at its power, described in the older tomes owned by your family. Its characteristics, its special need of its master, its power to make the impossible easy to accomplish… I longed for the day when I could hold the Golden Blue in my own hands. I could do many a deed with this artefact, if I was given the chance. Why don't you be the one to give me my chance, Satoshi? Give me an opportunity to change this world, for the better. It would prosper under my rule."

"You're out of your mind!"

"Perhaps, but the Golden Blue would fix me! It could do anything that I would ask it to do! It _will _do _everything_ that I would ask it to do… because _you_ will make it obey me." Hiwatari took out the Asdetta Fang slowly out of his pocket. He shook it slightly and it vanished from his hand.

Satoshi felt a slight sensation of being pulled by invisible hands in every direction possible. He almost dropped the Golden Blue in shock, but he fumbled to keep it gripped in his hand. The feeling of his mind being forcibly pulled away from his conscious state nagged at him until he could feel it no more.

His senses shut down.

_.o.o._

Kosuke crept silently along the tunnel. After having jumped down, he found that he had no way of climbing back up, so he resorted to following this passage till its end, hoping for an exit. His heart beat heavily against his ribs. He noted the heavy feeling of anticipation in his body, finding that he had no control over his legs as they awkwardly lead him on, as if trying to guide him towards something very important.

His proceedings lead him to a room occupied by a man who was eating a carrot and hopping around. He gave a light frown. Had he discovered an underground sanity asylum?

He moved on to find another room and almost yelled out his surprise. Three bleeding men were lying in various positions on the floor. He identified one as Krad, who was seemingly unmoving, lying in a bloody heap near the door, and the others, whom he didn't recognize, were moaning under their breaths and gritting their teeth in pain.

But the last two figures, one standing proudly in front of a window and the other lying on the desk, caught his eye especially. The one standing was a lean teenager holding a sword with a lot of effort, but his face was facing away from Kosuke, so the man had no way of knowing who it was. The man sprawled over the desk appeared to be sleeping.

"Finally, finally I will be able to see how powerful the Golden Blue is with my own eyes! Niwa-kun would be a perfect test subject. Now, what shall I do with him? After forcing him to help the robot arm with dropping the Hikari artefacts into the warp hole, he wasn't of much use to me… after I am done with him, I can launch the Armageddon Art and rule the wo—"

Kosuke, horrified, tuned out the rest of the teenager's musings and looked at his son through the window, trapped in the far side of the adjacent room. Knowing that he had to do something; had to prevent what was going to happen, he picked up a stray gun and let loose a bullet.

Being inexperienced, his aiming was off, so he only hit the ranting teenager's arm. The boy screamed.

_.o.o._

Satoshi felt the acute pain of being shot and was immediately aware that he was in full control of his own body again. He grasped at an invisible chain wounding around his neck and thrashed about to get it off. Meanwhile, Hiwatari had awoken and was screaming.

"The pain! The pain! My arm! Arrrgh!" He yelled like a madman even though it was Satoshi's arm that was shot, not his. Crazed with the resonating pain he endured while in control of Satoshi's body, he lunged for Kosuke, who backed into the other room. Hiwatari followed him madly, and although he didn't see it, Satoshi was aware of the tussle that followed. The gun Kosuke held must've ran out of ammo, and thus the man had to resort to fist fighting.

The commander looked at the chain he had taken from around his neck. Throwing it aside, not sparing it any thought, he focused his attention back on Daisuke's terrified form. The black liquid had reached his feet and any minute now the boy would lose his footing and fall into the mysterious pool. Satoshi had to act fast, but what was he going to do?

"The orb… hit… the… orb………" He heard Krad say behind him. He wasted no time for doubt. He was so desperate to get Daisuke out of this situation that he'd do anything.

His mind knew exactly what to do - which parts of him were to move at which moment and time. His legs hopped back a few steps, putting him at a distance from the window. Aiming for the ominous black orb mounted on the wall in the room Daisuke was occupying, his heavily wounded sword arm swung forwards and flung the Golden Blue as strongly as his current condition and strength allowed him to.

The glowing sword zoomed through the air like a white torpedo. The most grating 'ziing' sound was heard as it cut through the air most bizarrely. It passed through the magical window without a pause and struck a section of the targeted wall, but… it was nowhere near the orb.

Satoshi cursed his arm injury, which had contributed to his poor judgment of distance and aim. Just when he thought that there was no more hope; that he was going to lose Daisuke forever, there was the faint sounds of a crack forming. And another. And another.

When he looked carefully, he noticed that the force at which the sword had struck its destination had caused a rupture in the structure of the wall. The crack spread outwards like thin vines growing at super-speed. It took Satoshi a few seconds to realize that a particularly violent crack was directing itself towards the weird orb.

The crack pierced the strange contraption and suddenly the orb itself vibrated and shattered into many pieces. As each piece dropped into the pool of dark magic the mysterious substance diminished, as if pulled away by the broken fragments of the orb. Daisuke ran for the window as soon as he could find a safe path around the pool. Satoshi called for him urgently. The window separating them both flickered before disappearing.

Crying, Daisuke leapt through the space where the window had once been and landed in Satoshi's uninjured arm, the blue-haired teenager staggering backwards by the force of the sixteen-year-old boy's full-body assault.

But instead of wincing with pain, he sat down against a wall and let the boy weep in his arms, simply grateful that he got his love back.

_.o.o._

"…Read me the suspects' names again, Kazuki. I need to make sure they're all here."

"Yes, sir. Yuugari Mashimato. Kadou Tazayuki. Nato Kimihiro. Kei Hiwatari. That's all, sir."

Ryoshi mumbled to himself and rubbed his forehead. "But I swear that there were six different blood stains in that place…!"

"Maybe it was the blood of the Commander and the individual named Kosuke Niwa-san, sir?" Kazuki offered, writing something in his notebook. Ryoshi shook his head.

"Kosuke Niwa-san is most definitely out, he didn't have any serious bleeding injuries on him except for some nail scratches and a bruised jaw. He was a damn good fighter." The policeman glanced at Hiwatari's abused figure, bloodied and probably broken in many different places.

"Forensics could do a blood test and find out for us, sir."

"They could, I guess. In time. For now, we can ask the commander himself. Come on."

_.o.o._

Daisuke watched as the nurse treated Satoshi's arm gingerly. The wound was deep, and because the blue-eyed teenager had placed some extra strain on it when he threw the sword, it became worse. The arm was not supposed to be used at all for the next few months to allow healing. Satoshi didn't seem too bothered by his handicap.

He beckoned Daisuke over when the nurse finally left them alone. The red-haired sixteen-year-old sat beside the commander faithfully and leaned into him. They were silent for some time, listening as police investigations went on and police car engines revved and faded away. Occasionally a siren would flare, indicating the leave of an ambulance. Both boys took it all in, the sounds of the bustle outside and the sounds of their quiet breathing inside.

"I'm sorry, Daisuke, for dragging you into all this mess." Satoshi said at last, his tone quiet and filled with guilt. Daisuke shook his head, rubbing his cheek against the other's shoulder.

"Don't worry about it. I'm fine, aren't I? How about _you_? You're the one with the gunshot wound."

Satoshi laughed warmly, the first time he did so in a few days. "It's ironic, isn't it? _Your_ father shot me. Your parents hate me already and I haven't even proposed yet!"

Daisuke pouted, blushed, and laughed back. "Don't be like that. Dad didn't know that Hiwatari was controlling your actions."

"Hmm. Well, he took me by surprise, is all." Daisuke didn't bother to ask who took him by surprise, he felt content just being silent.

"Daisuke?"

"Yes?"

"Can I kiss you?"

The red-haired boy's face turned into a very bright red colour. "Umm… g-go ahead." He said shyly, playing with his fingers before turning his face to Satoshi.

His lips were quickly conquered by Satoshi's own. At first it was clumsy, just Satoshi's way of venting out his relief at having Daisuke back at his side, but then it swiftly turned into something wild and passionate, a pleasurable sensation only Satoshi could give. Daisuke moaned and sighed between the attacks to his lower lip, gasping when Satoshi's tongue ran seductively along the length of his lips. His hands flew to the other's neck, wanting to taste him more, wanting to be treated like this forever. Satoshi moaned with satisfaction as Daisuke massaged the back of his neck. In his hazy state Daisuke filed this little tidbit at the back of his mind: Satoshi's sensitive at the spot behind his neck.

They pulled away for air and just because, and was about to join their lips together again when there was a cough and a polite knock on the ambulance door. Both of them jumped and blushed profusely. Someone's caught them moaning, and that wouldn't go down too well with Satoshi's reputation and rank.

"Umm, be right there!" Daisuke said hastily, jumping up and planting a quick, embarrassed kiss on Satoshi's red lips before opening the back doors of the ambulance.

Ryoshi came into the vehicle before Kazuki, and apologized deliberately for their intrusion.

"I expect that you are here to ask about the missing suspect from the scene, yes?" Satoshi asked calmly, as if he had just been chatting with Daisuke before the policemen came in, not doing something extremely strenuous and arousing… like kissing, for example.

Ryoshi nodded. "Well, our evidence is not consistent with the amount of suspects we discovered."

Satoshi leaned back in his seat and sighed. "Officer, I would have to ask something of you… as your commander."

"Yes, sir."

"I want you to ignore the last suspect. As a witness to his doings I assure you he is partly innocent in this matter."

"But, sir—"

"For once, officers, we are going to bend the rules. Okay? I will send a letter giving you my permission later."

Ryoshi and Kazuki sighed. "Yes, sir." They left, dejected.

Daisuke sat again at his place beside Satoshi. "Take Krad out of the case…? Thank you, Satoshi. I owe you a lot. Why did you withdraw the charges against Krad?"

The commander frowned, dragging Daisuke closer to him with his free hand. "I don't know. I just feel that there's something he needs to tell me, or something I need to ask him. Besides, I owe him quite a bit for helping me in rescuing you. And I'm not really worried – he'll come and look for me again when he's ready. He doesn't easily forget his debts to other people."

Daisuke looked up at Satoshi with contented eyes. "I love you, Satoshi."

Satoshi smiled. "That was random. But I love you too, Daisuke."

And that is the end of this story.

_.o.o._

_DANG! MAN, THAT TOOK AGES._

_Hello again, readers. –avoids pots and pans and random blocks of mouldy cheese- Okay, okay, I'm sorry for the **long, long, LONG** delay, but I had my exams and I needed to study and stuff. My exams are all done yesterday so YAY! xD I've got a few fics to put up, but I don't know which ones xD_

_There will be a sequel to this fic, I think. I mean, I think some readers would like to know what happened to Dark. Haha! You don't seriously think I would kill him, would you? xD So yeah, there will be one, but I wanna take a break before I start writing for it. Write one-shots and short fics for a bit before I take on huge projects such as editing this whole story and starting the sequel xD_

_On a last note, to the reader who commented dryly on my earlier chapters… read on a bit, and you'll understand what REALLY happened. Did you **honestly** think I would make Daisuke a murderer? And he's **sixteen**__ he's bound to know 'big words'. I don't think he's **that** dumb. Dense, but he ain't stupid. And lastly, can't you even spell '**sarcasm**' right? It's **sarcasm**. _

_**S-A-R-C-A-S-M.**_

_Do you get it? No? I'll spell that again. **S-A-R-C-A-S-M. **Maybe I should underline that for you. **S-A-R-C-A-S-M**. It's pronounced '**sar-ka-zem**'. Okay? '**SAR-KA-ZEM**'._

_Are you a **tiny**__bit more intelligent now…? xP_

_Other than that, a big **THANK YOU** to my other readers who read my fic and commented on some improvements I could try. I **LOVE** you guys/gals. More than I love my DIY dragon model, and that's **a lot**. Expect more from me soon in the Final Fantasy 7 section! Cid and Vincent are hawt xD BYE! –mooches everybody and runs off to eat some vanilla waffle cones-_

_Make my day! –points to Go button- **CLICKIE!**_


End file.
